FateGeass: The Eden Vital War
by AlfheimWanderer
Summary: Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed Atlantis and set mankind back to the Stone Age. Now war rages again, with C.C. and V.V. choosing champions to fight a battle for the world's fate. AU
1. The Legacy of Atlantis

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes emphasis

* * *

**Atlantis - 9600 BC**

Atlantis. A legendary land overflowing with riches, said to blessed by the gods themselves – a land torn asunder by war, wiped from the face of the earth as the result of a Geass War, where rival factions fought to control the power of Eden Vital and stand astride the axis of the world. Millions were killed on the field of battle – millions more driven mad, as masks of persona were stripped away, exposing what lurked within humanity's collective soul:

An unfathomable darkness, a swarm of grain-sized curses that ate into its victims without mercy, tearing into minds, souls, bodies indiscriminately, as hell is loosed upon the world.

'_**LIES,'**_ the demon screamed, unable to be silenced. _**'**__Traitors to humanity, killers, murderers all.__** Liar, **__concealing truth, concealing self, concealing all for VIOLATION VIOLATION VIOLATION. Scorned by friends and scorned by foes, cut apart by bent and broken shards of hope. Submit submit submit, mortals hiding mortal lechery, concealing BASE DESIRE, GREED, AVARICE, seven sins of ENVY, LUST and PRIDE, tortured killings, tortured friends, no chance, no choice, no possibilities for freedom, screaming, raging, trapped in irons, impure impure impure, as failure on the path of SELF-DESTRUCTION. Atone atone atone with death and __**DIE**__.'_

From the very beginning, there had been no chance of victory. Rioting in the streets, order turned to chaos, ranks of soldiers splintering as desertion and suicide took its toll in the bloody civil war, the incessant whispers of the World of C gnawing at morale and sanity. Perhaps a pure and spotless saint could have tuned out this symphony of destruction, but who in a time of chaos could keep oneself clean, when no one was clean to begin with?

"After all, to be alive is to do evil," muttered the enigmatic warrior known the Wanderer, wrinkling his nose with distaste as he saw what had become of his beloved city. Covering the once pristine buildings and streets of Atlantis was a miasma of human flesh and blood, the red of minced meat _squishing squish squelching_ underfoot. The smells of cooking food, perfumes, and the sea usually present were masked by an ever more overwhelming stench: the putrid scent of mingled sweat, blood, and excrement wafting from the still warm remnants of terror. "Each breath is stolen from the lungs of another, each second of life one snatched away from a foe—as this is how this world is structured, no one can escape from this law. Evil, to be sure, is the truth of this world."

His grey robes and chain mail were stained and shredded by blood and blades and bullets, yet the Wanderer pushed onwards, since as the bearer of a Code, he alone could stop his counterpart from unleashing Eden Vital's "cleansing" upon all of humanity – though it would not be without cost.

"Always doom and gloom, even to the last, Wanderer," remarked a wry, feminine voice from beside him, the voice of his chief lieutenant in the Geass War, the one his foes had called "Reaper in White" – and reasonably so, given that she wore a loose flowing white dress with a blue underskirt, and carried with her a rather deadly looking weapon, a scythe like a demon's claw.

"Speak for yourself, Unyielding Shadow," the Code-bearer sighed, eyes darting hither and fro for any sign of stragglers or enemies waiting in ambush. True, there was a slight chance that that those there would be refugees or civilians, but it was unlikely, and besides... _'I can no longer afford consideration for human life, not when such would prevent me from clearing the required conditions.' _"You haven't exactly been a ray of sunlight either…"

Which was true, given that her face had grown paler and more lined these last few months, signs of instability becoming more evident as her Geass had become permanently active.

_Crack! Crack! Crack!_

—bullets tore through empty space at the Shadow and the Wanderer, as snipers hidden amongst the shattered buildings took aim and fired one after another, trying to buy time for their craven master with ragged volleys of shots—

—that were all stopped in mid-air by a shield of glowing green hexagons, the Shadow's Geass of Absolute Defense. In her case, the power of the king had been literally isolating, giving her what amounted to a portable fortress, shielding her from all destructive interference, protecting her both from physical attack as well as mental assault.

Not seeing the futility of their actions, the geassed troopers continued their ineffectual barrage, only for the Shadow to advance, scythe at the ready, closing the distance little by little—then completely as she vanished into a blur of motion, striking with heretofore unseen speed.

_Squelch! Crunch!_

The first blow splits two soldiers in half, weapons and all. A feint from the right. A slash from the left. A vicious kick to the knee, the Shadow's blades strike at again and again, carving slices from the bodies of her foes, killing at the very limit of human ability.

_Crack! Gargle! _

A fast overhead strike to smash the skull, a sideswipe to crush the ribs, spinning, lashing out with feet, sending yet another sprawling, whirling about quickly to slash and hack and twist, blades striking and rebounding, slashing again and again as foes died.

Metallic clanks and bangs rang out, mixed with gargles, death screams, and the pitter-pat of footsteps forward or back as the battle raged on, to the accompaniment of ragged breathing in a syncopated staccato—and then it was silent once more, with the ambushers dead.

The Shadow swallowed once as the Wanderer slowly walked up to her position, a trail of red slowly flowing down from her lips to drip from her chin, splashing with a ripple into the sea of blood around her feet.

"The strain is getting to you, isn't it?" the Wanderer asked quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Maintaining a barrier against the world was not an easy proposition, while it was better than the alternative (death by war or madness), a physical Geass would lead to death in the end. "Soon…"

He trailed off.

"I know, Wanderer, I know."

Exactly what, they left unspoken, though the truth was that they were both approaching their limits.

As a Code-bearer linked intimately with the World of C, the nightmare of the collective unconscious ate away at what remained of the Wanderer's mind harder than any other, seeping in through all five senses to show him the ugliness in himself and humanity he would not acknowledge, crimes he wanted to run away from, every crime, every evil of all those within the world, condemning him to death from pain and self hatred.

And while immortality offered a limited resistance to the corruption, only the wielder of the Geass of Absolute Defense or one enslaved by the Geass of Absolute Obedience could ignore the eternal terror—and the former, only until the mind and body gave out from strain.

_Rumble-crack! Rumble!_

There was a roar like distant thunder, as Atlantis shook and quaked underneath them, threatening to tear itself apart. Once the center of the world, it had been corrupted by the presence of a fell darkness, one that taints the lands and scatters all around a reddish phosphorescence—the color of rust and decay. The stagnant air is filled with the presence of death, floating above a sickly black mud, with a great crimson eye staring down.

A last shared glance passed between the two, as they grimly set off towards their final destination.

"How convenient…," the Wanderer spat, looking towards the temple around which the city of gods had once been built. "It seems that our foe has given us the courtesy of broadcasting his location…the last battle awaits."

"You don't have to do this, Wanderer," the Shadow broke in, swallowing once. "You know as well as I that this is a battle he seeks, since he cannot achieve Ragnarök completely without your Code and his."

"He's already done more than enough, as you can well see from the partial instrumentality around us," the Code-bearer rejoined solemnly. "If we don't stop him now, the world will end in madness, dying with a whimper."

"Damned if we do and damned if we don't, eh?" the Shadow chuckled harshly. "The entire Geass War has been like that, so why not the final battle too? And of course, it will be one where my Geass has absolutely no effect…"

"Heh, you have a point there," the Wanderer acknowledged, tilting his head, as if considering something. Suddenly, he paused in mid-step, looking at his companion with a strangely vulnerable expression on his face. "Say…can you promise me something?"

"Do you know why a shadow is black, Wanderer?" his companion asked in turn.

"I'm not in the mood for street philosophy at the moment, so why don't you just tell me?"

"It's because it's the only color left after all else has gone away, and the only one that will never fade," she answered him, giving him a faint smile. "I have nothing left, Wanderer, having lost all else these past years. I've followed you this far…what more do you want of me?"

"Live."

An unexpected reply.

"Eh?"

But the warlock said nothing more, heading towards the Thought Elevator once more, and after a moment, his contractor followed.

* * *

**World of C – Sword of Akasha**

Floating in a world of clouds with no land or sky in sight was a structure like temple, the focal point of all consciousnesses that lay within the world of C. It was this place that had given rise to the legends of Olympus, the depictions of Heaven, and all those other conceptions of what a home of the gods was supposed to be.

Yet all was not right with the world, as the helix-like spear stabbing straight for the eye above might seem to prove, not quite piercing as much as scratching the outer membrane, letting the essence of the gods bleed out into the world.

In the center of the temple complex stood a grey haired youth in silver and black robes, robes embroidered with a pattern of seven eyes staring out at the world. His lips were curled upwards, and his teeth were shown, but his expression was no more a smile than a shark would wear before devouring its prey. Alone, he waited for his opponent to arrive, finding himself rewarded as a faint swirl of crimson light shimmered into existence, then faded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind two ragged figures ready for the kill.

'_Just as planned.'_

"So…you have come, Wanderer," the boy spoke by way of welcome, not even bothering to turn and look at the new arrivals. "And you've brought your contractor, I see, she with the power of Absolute Defense. Perfect…two Codes and a fully active Geass, all that is needed to activate the Sword of Akasha and destroy all that holds us back."

'_ATONE ATONE ATONE,' _the voices of the collective whispered. _'Impure ones who must be cleansed, must atone for ever crime of man, every human treachery. Ruled by the inhuman, no conscience, grudge, fraud, kindness a lie, hope a lie, all things a lie, malignance shines bright, a great evil, the only truth. Atone, in death, ATONE.'_

Gritting his teeth, the newly arrived Code-bearer stove to ignore the clamoring of the voices asking for completion of the ritual, voices asking him to end their suffering and his own.

"Don't be absurd…cease this travesty at once, lrais," the Wanderer intoned, drawing a set of knives from his belt. "You have already effectively destroyed civilization for your own ends? What of all the dead? All those you have killed in your path to so-called utopia?"

Irais turned, sneering at the Wanderer, gesturing expansively.

"Travesty, no, the real travesty would be allowing the gods to suffer any longer, Wanderer," he countered, turning his gaze to the Shadow. "The real travesty would be failing to complete this ritual, as to do so would destroy Atlantis, and for what? A restored world? Don't make me laugh…there is no way to restore it without Eden Vital's power."

The Shadow gripped her scythe yet more tightly as she met Irais eye to eye, the crimson sigil of Geass blazing in her pupils adding to the effect.

"Do you really want to condemn this world to millennia upon millennia of desolation, with all of history erased?"Irais continued, arrogantly confident in his righteousness. "Do you—Tch!"

In a flash, the Shadow charged and the Wanderer surged forward, the shock and surprise forcing the other Code bearer to shut up and spring backwards, anger upon his noble features as he drew a set of silver war fans.

_Clang! Clang! Clink!_

He struck first at the Shadow, aiming to get inside her reach and disable her with nearly inhuman speed. And indeed, had she fought with anything less than her full potential, the Shadow would have quickly been defeated, so she strained herself to the limit, defending against a barrage of thrusts savagely aiming to take her neck with motions that flowed one into the next, giving her all in defense. One-two-three blows she anticipated, one to the ribs, one to the temple, one to the inner thigh—but not a fourth.

"Augh!"

Falling victim to a vicious kick to the knee, the Shadow stumbled as a knife swung for her neck—only for this blow to fall short, as she turns the stumble into a forward roll, evading it and slamming the haft of her scythe into her opponent's face!

_Crunch!_

The result was a broken nose for Irais, though nothing more serious than that, for the grey-haired boy had taken a step back to minimize the effect. Using that opening, the Shadow lashed out with her foot, hoping to land a blow and disable the opposition, but Irais, anticipating a desperation attack, deflected that as well, backing out of easy striking distance with a slight grunt of surprise.

"I am impressed that you have lasted this long," the foe quipped, seemingly unaffected by the exertion. "But then, what do people value the most? That's right, life! The very same essence that drives you to fight is also the essence that causes you to quake with fear at the potential of losing!"

While Irais spoke, the Shadow lunged—only for her opponent to sidestep, greeting her body with a powerful backhand and a stab wound to the gut.

"Guh!"

"No!" the Wanderer cried out, taking advantage of the opportunity won at great cost to seize Irais' arms. "And now…your Code is mine!"

"Fool."

With a _thud, _the Wanderer was thrown backwards, his vision going white as he was met with kicks to stomach, crotch, and sides, with an uppercut to his forehead knocking him towards the blood-slicked floor. But gritting his teeth, he refused to surrender, getting back into a defensive stance as he eyed his foe warily.

"You're stronger than you look."

"Or perhaps you have become weak, Wan—"

And then the Wanderer struck back, bringing to bear superior strength, speed, skill as he slashes, forcing the elite assassin onto the defensive with a fierce storm of blades. Identical techniques collide opposing one another. Both attacks, both defenses were exactly the same, but unfortunately, one was already weakened from the long journey to this place, while the other was fresh, having waited in a place outside of time. The conditions were unequal, and both immortals knew it.

"Guh!" the Wanderer lets out involuntarily, as a knife finds its way between his ribs, but instead of pulling away, he grabs his assailant's wrist and pulls the boy off balance, sweeping his feet from under him and forcing the enemy Code-bearer to the ground.

_Thud! Thud! Thud! Crunch!_

He'd always been morbidly curious, wondering just how many times one would have to slam a head into the ground before a person was at the brink of death—but not yet dead. Once? Twice? Three times? Four?

'_Finally.'_

While he was doing this, his accomplice had finally managed to crawl over to him, and in accordance with their plan, signaled for him to let up with a tap on the shoulder, at which point, the Shadow fully activated her Geass and brutally wrenched the Code from Irais' soul with a bloodthirsty smile. The grey-haired boy screamed in agony as his immortality was stolen, the strangled cry cutting off as suddenly as it began, as the violation was complete. In the aftermath, he lay whimpering upon the ground, unable to move, unable to speak.

Then, the Shadow looked at him, and the faces of the World of C dragged the hapless villain to a fate worse than death, trapping him forever in their nightmares.

"It ends, this Geass War."

Victory, perhaps, but all was not quite over…

'_Feel the pain, feel the torment, feel the suffering of the masses,' _the voices raged on. '_Feel the cancer, feel the seeping of emotion in the heart squeezed by iron fist, eyes gouged out by velvet gloves and popped like grapes between fingers, castration castrati immolation, searing flame emasculation snip snip snip, burn and cackle, crush and crackle sizzle pop of human flesh drip drip dripping vital oils juices internal organs bleeding out charbroiled o'er an open grill of madness and insanity, no choice but to lose control, lose reason, lose hope, to DIE to END THE VIOLATION MAKE IT STOP.'_

The helical spear stabbing at the lidless eye remained, and the embodiment of the unconsciousness grew weary of waiting, its voices growing louder, louder, more insistent as it demanded death, demanded atonement.

"The World of C will not be satisfied with this alone," the Wanderer spoke at last, nodding to the bloody patch on the temple floor where the shell of Irais had been taken into hell. "I had hoped…but there's no more time. A penance must be paid, to cease this awful sound…the world's despair."

Relief bled from the Shadow's face as she mulled over the meaning of the Wanderer's words.

"Wait...you mean, even after all this..."

"Yes, my last option. Or perhaps that was all there was from the beginning," replied the other, red eyes looking wearily up at the spear marring the sky. "A wave rushes on, dear contractor, until at last it breaks upon the shore. When two Code-Bearers clash, only one may emerge victorious...and to destroy this Sword of Akasha..."

"No!" the Shadow broke in. But her voice was small and brittle, without power. "No. You can't..."

"This is what it means to bear a Code," the Wanderer mused, as much to himself as to another. "To be truly separate from time, from life, from memory. In the end, all we can do is not run away."

Silence for several moments, then—

"You can't!" his companion said once again, more desperately this time. "Please...if there is a sacrifice to be made, let me make it...I have nothing else—"

"You made me a promise," the weary figure interrupted, kindly but regretfully. "A promise to live. Have you forgotten already, after just having gained eternity?"

She glared at him, furious that he would do this even at the last, but—

"...fine, you win," the Reaper in White sighed, shaking her head. "I will accept that geass."

With that, the Wanderer gave his companion a last squeeze of her hand, then directed his gaze to the sky once more, raising an imploring hand to the heavens. "I who bear the burden of Code, choose continuation, and end. By my will, by the will of the fallen, by the price of existence, dispel this spear and let tomorrow come."

A low rumble, as the symbol of Geass appeared upon the surface of the lidless eye, a wave of crimson pulsing out and down, obliterating the Sword of Akasha...and the physical form of the Code-bearer called the Wanderer.

"One last thing, I ask of you, my Unyielding Shadow: Bar the gate to Eden Vital, and let this temple fall, that this Geass War shall not rise once more."

He looked over to the Shadow, as if to prompt her with his eyes.

The Reaper in White gave a quick nod, speaking only: "So be it…tomorrow will come…the world will begin once more, but Atlantis, temple to Geass,…nevermore."

She didn't trust herself to say anything else.

But as stern as the Wanderer had been, his voice was soft as he spoke his final words to his former contractor, the last one who would remember him.

"They do say that all who die will one day be reborn. Perhaps in time, our souls will meet again."

With that, the man disappeared for good, leaving behind a newly minted Code-bearer with flowing black hair and yellow eyes.

_'He has paid his price, then, and so he is gone...but perhaps...'_

_"_...but nothing...that is just a lost young woman's foolishness."

This last survivor of Atlantis remained there for a moment, shedding a single tear that gleamed in the World of C's eternal twilight, then without a sound, vanished from that realm as quietly as she had come, alone.

Outside, the tremors and stresses finally took their toll, tearing the land asunder, and in a single day and night, the once proud land of gods sank beneath the waves.

* * *

**Shinjuku Ghetto - 2017 ATB**

Within the "poison gas container" that served to transport C.C.'s straitjacketed form, the green-haired geass witch was not terribly pleased. For one thing, the immortal had not had a proper pizza in years—not since her stay at Aires Imperial Villa—and even then, pizza was not considered food of the nobility, so more than one chef had considered it beneath his dignity to make such a thing. For another (though perhaps that should be first), she was currently restrained by a straitjacket inside an airtight _poison gas container_, and though she could very well revive time and time again from death, she found asphyxiation a particularly unpleasant way to go.

'_When I disappeared from the Villa after V.V killed Marianne, I never thought the little boy would dare to lay hands on me as well for the sake of our disagreement. After all, since Atlantis fell in a Geass War, it has been a faux pas for one Code-Bearer to directly harm another.'_

Instead, disagreements were supposed to be settled by a ritualistic battle of seven champions, the immortals choosing one apiece, with the rest chosen by Eden Vital itself—or such it was supposed to be, until V.V had had dedicated the resources of the Holy Britannian Empire to capture and restrain her, preventing her from choosing a champion of her own.

'_Two champions in Area 11: Berserker and Rider. One in Area 18: Lancer. One in Pendragon: Caster. Three in the Chinese Federation: Saber, Archer, and Assassin. Two champions are V.V's…and none are mine.'_

There was a loud _crash!_ And then, there was light, the poison gas container opening, dumping the immortal geass witch unceremoniously to the ground.

What a pleasure it was to breathe again—and to be unbound. Granted, C.C. would rather not be in a situation where she could get shot, but…

'_A champion, already? And then there's Lelouch. How your son has grown, Marianne…I think he will make an interesting champion in this Eden Vital War.'_

Gunshots rang out, and the Eleven she thought a champion crumpled to the floor, fallen, but not dead.

Before the Britannians could do anything more, the truck that had carried the gas container exploded, sending smoke and wreckage everywhere. Not a fool, Lelouch took this as his chance of escape, dragging the green-haired woman behind him into a tunnel nearby—only to emerge upon a Britannian patrol shooting down a group of civilians.

The exiled prince silently swore. Why did he have such rotten luck? Did he exist to be the universe's chew toy? Couldn't something good happen, just for a change? If there was a god—then it was a cruel one, for his cell phone rang.

Lelouch knew of only one person who would call him at a time like this: Shirley. Nobody else had such miserable timing. He managed to silence his phone after but an instant, but it was already too late.

The next few seconds were a blur, as he was slammed against the wall, threatened, accused of being a terrorist—and shot at. "Shot at" would have turned into "shot dead", save for the green-haired woman jumping in the way of the bullet, taking it right between the eyes.

While the Britannians talked amongst themselves, conferring to decide the report they would give, Lelouch was frozen in shock, still reaching for his savior when—

--she grabbed onto his wrist, and the world faded away in light.

"_You don't want it to end, do you?"_ The voice of the mysterious woman, but how would she be…

"Impossible…"

"_It seems you have a reason to live, if only had the strength. Accept my gift of power, and in return, you will serve as my champion, my fate determined by your sword."_

Now the prince was confused, but if he could only _live…_

"_If you enter into this contract, you will live as a human, but also as one completely different. Different rules, different time, a different life…the power of the king will make you lonely indeed."_

A sudden flood of images: ruins in different parts of the world, his father standing in a grand temple, lines and runes, and a great glowing eye.

" _If you are prepared to obey this mind and reason, then answer my call…Avenger!"_

There was only one answer he could make.

"I hereby accept this contract."

With those words, he returned to reality, where he stood, facing the Britannian soldiers before him with a smile.

"Say, how should I, a Britannian who hates Britannia live?" the prince asked of the soldiers, covering his left eye with his hand.

"You some kind of philosopher?" the captain of the squad asked snidely, bringing his sidearm to bear. But for some reason, he found he could not move.

"What? Can't shoot?" Lelouch shot back with an evil smirk. "You're up against a student. Or have you finally learned that only those willing to be shot can themselves shoot others?"

Feeling a sensation of warmth in his eye, he removed his hand to gaze upon his foes, revealing his sinister countenance to them.

"Wha-"

"Lelouch vi Britannia commands you: look upon your sins and die!!"

The men froze for a second, then started to grin, red rings forming around their irises.

"Yes, Your Highness!" they barked in unison, their guns clattering to the ground as they convulsed in pain, screaming for mercy with none to be found. After all, they had shown none in the completion of their orders, and so they suffered here, trapped in a nightmare in which sweet death was a merciful and longed for end.

The Black Prince looked on as his victims writhed, screamed, cried in anguish--and one by one, perished in a chorus of death rattles that was music to his ears, accompanied by mad laughter from the newly chosen Champion.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

From that day on, the Prince would live a lie. His life is a lie, his name is a lie, his career is a lie. All lies...but with this power, perhaps he could face those who opposed him and utterly destroy Britannia. For he was, after all, servant Avenger.

* * *

A/N: Lelouch's Geass in this fic is NOT Absolute Obedience, but Absolute Retribution, forcing the victim to suffer all the pain (or wounds or death) they had ever inflicted on anybody else. This ability requires eye contact, but can be used more than once per person.


	2. Opening Moves

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Shinjuku Ghetto, Warehouse – 2017 ATB**

As the bodies of his would-be murderers crumpled to the cold concrete floor of the warehouse where he had gained his power, Lelouch vi Britannia watched them, the glowing red sigil of Geass in his eyes casting a faint crimson tinge to his victims' twisted forms. A platoon of Royal Guards, elite soldiers of the Empire, now lay upon the floor, writhing in agony, faces and forms contorted by the suffering they had caused others, returned to them in full—and all at once.

To a man who hated Britannia, 'twas a beautiful symphony of screams, moans, whimpers, building up as muscles pulled bones past the breaking point, and incoherent terror swept over the geassed ones, until at last death claimed them one by one, last convulsions curling each into a broken fetal position as they paid the price for their many sins.

For a moment, a savage grin flitted across the face of the exiled prince, before he suppressed it, and with it, the dark bone-chilling laughter that had welled up from his core. There would be time enough later to revel in victory, or laugh with maniacal glee…according to sound doctrine, this squad was undoubtedly only one of many sweeping Shinjuku, searching for the mysterious woman and willing to eliminate all witnesses.

'_This strange woman…why was she inside the poison gas container? How did she grant me this bizarre ability?' _ Lelouch asked himself, raising one slender eyebrow. '_She called me her champion, naming me Avenger, but…no matter, the current situation must be dealt with before I satisfy my curiosity.'_

Movement. From the corner of his eye, he spotted the strait-jacketed woman in white stirring—something that should have been impossible after getting shot between the eyes. Then again, the bodies of the dead soldiers scattered around him were a powerful argument that his power was real, and thus, if a being could make this impossibility a reality—

"Hmm," a cool, melodic voice broke in, disturbing the clockwork calculations of his thoughts. "Not quite as strong as I would expect of a champion. Weak arms, frail constitution, average Knightmare piloting skill—"

The voice trailed off, as the exiled prince turned to look upon his mysterious benefactor. He found her to find her sitting up, apparently unharmed (thought her hair was still wet with blood), her golden eyes regarding him with mingled amusement and disdain.

"Who are you?" he asked pointedly, wanting to get what answers he could before more enemies arrived. "And what did you mean that I would serve as your 'champion'?"

"Those are your first words to me?" she replied deprecatingly, not missing a chance to batter at his self-esteem. "Can't be helped, I suppose, since I was given a terrible Champion. Nothing more than an accomplice, really…how unfortunate…"

'_This…witch surely has a twisted personality,' _was the only thought in the prince's mind, his left eye twitching once in annoyance before he suppressed that urge. _'But then, until I met her, I was a powerless corpse pretending to be alive. Living without power, without the ability to change my course, was akin to a slow death.'_

_Clip! Clip! Clip!_

Footsteps echoed in the expanse as the green-haired woman approached the silent Britannian student, coming to a halt only inches from his face. Gold met purple, as the witch's penetrating stare looked directly into the prince's eyes, as if stripping away the lies he wove and seeing to the despair in the depths of his soul.

"Still, you have the power of Absolute Retribution…how utterly appropriate for a demon," the green-haired woman allowed, lips twitching upward ever-so-slightly. "You may be able to grant my wish after all, boy."

_BOOM!_

Before the exiled prince could reply to the walking enigma that was C.C., the doors of the warehouse collapsed in a billowing plume of dust, with a Knightmare Frame bursting through the wreckage, only to halt at the sight of the bodies on the ground.

"What happened here, boy?" a harsh, feminine voice boomed from the war machine. "And why is a Britannian student in a place like this with a prisoner?! Answer me or…"

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

Bullets tore through the air as if to emphasize the severity of her "request", carving an arc of destruction into the wall behind the witch and her champion. At this, Lelouch froze for a moment, considering his options, before settling on an approach.

"The punishment shall fit the crime," the prince uttered with conviction, turning his Geass upon the Knightmare. Alas, it had no effect.

"Who do you think you are?" came the reply, low and angry.

'_I see…it requires direct eye contact,'_ Lelouch thought to himself, his mind already racing through scenarios and possible responses that would coax the pilot from her frame. Perhaps he should claim to be nobility? Or—

"We are agents of the Britannian Secret Intelligence Service, reporting directly to the Emperor himself, pilot," the green-haired witch cut in scornfully, as if her ranks and prerogatives superseded that of any other. "Under that authority, I am requisitioning your Knightmare Frame."

"Agents of the Britannian Secret Intelligence Service? Requisitioning my Knightmare?" the pilot repeated incredulously, unknowingly echoing the disbelief in Lelouch's mind. Demanding anything of someone in a Knightmare while seemingly unarmed was…rather absurd, but if the two before her really were agents of SIS, and she did not render comply with their orders…

'_At best, a demotion of several ranks. At worst, I would be stripped entirely of rank and forced to work on something like an orange farm…all that I've worked for, ruined.'_

She shuddered at the thought. As a provisional Knight solely by virtue of her skill as a pilot, Villetta Nu was not of noble blood, and so supported the Purist Faction in the hopes of gaining a true title of nobility. Were she to make a mistake here, those hopes would be dashed forever—that was the rule of Britannia, harsh to its enemies, harsh to failures. There was no forgiveness.

"Do you have identification?" she managed, after several seconds, collecting herself.

"Yes, in my breast pocket," the seeming student spoke up, looking at the Knightmare's factsphere expectantly.

It was a gamble, getting out of the Knightmare Frame, but if she was of service to the SIS, perhaps a promotion—or a true noble title, was not out of the question. And no Eleven or terrorist associated with them could have spoken so arrogantly in the face of such danger, so—

Making her decision, the pilot drew her sidearm and disembarked from her Sutherland, regarding the duo with a critical eye—then froze, as a heretofore unseen symbol on the green-haired woman forehead blazed with light, forcing into her mind unwanted memories, dredging from her heart despair, despair despair, worthless humiliation, darkness, grief, forcing her to recollect—

"NO! NO! DON'T DO—GUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The howl gave way to a shrill, piercing cry, and then the pilot slumped boneless to the ground, the Knightmare Frame's key she held in her hand clattering to the ground along with her sidearm.

"And the code?" the green-haired witch demanded softly.

"…XG2-ID2D4…" a whisper came out, barely audible, and then could speak no more, having gone catatonic.

Calmly, as if this was something she'd seen and done a thousand times over, C.C. ceased her psychic assault, picking up the two objects the dark-skinned pilot had dropped. She handed the key to the exiled prince, half-amused at his reaction to what had just transpired.

"You…"

"Get going, Avenger," she spoke dismissively, clearly unwilling to give any answers at this time. "There is much to be done, and other champions for you to face..."

With that, C.C turned and began to walk away, judging that she had given enough help to her champion for now.

"Wait!" the boy commanded, but the witch did not stop, leaving only questions in the boy's mind.

'_Who was she? What was she? What was that strange power that she used to disable the pilot? And—'_

Before his mind could think itself in circles, the prince cut himself off with a scowl. The questions could wait, for the situation triggered a single overriding thought:

_"With this, the initial conditions have been cleared."_

* * *

**Shinjuku Ghetto, Captured Sutherland Cockpit**

From the cockpit of his recently acquired Knightmare Frame, Lelouch vi Britannia was monitoring the tactical situation, taking into account Britannian communications, those of the resistance fighters, and the troop movements reported from his factsphere. Granted, this left the business about the witch and other possible "champions" unresolved, but he couldn't afford to let his mind dwell on such matters now—the current massacre was a far more pressing concern.

'_Clovis has something to hide, doesn't he? Could the woman who was in the poison gas container truly be that important?'_

There would otherwise be no reason for the Britannians to be out in overwhelming force, swarming over the ghetto and systematically eliminating civilians with impunity, the r_at-a-tat-a-tat _of machine guns mixing with sharply cut-off screams as the streets were slicked with blood.

'_Evil. The strong oppressing the weak—this is Britannia, a power that is corrupt, unchangeable from within. What does one do when there is an evil one cannot defeat by just means? Does one stain one's hands with evil to destroy evil, or does one remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?'_

His lips pulled back in a grimace as he _felt_ impressions of these deaths, _felt_ terror and panic in their air, mingled with a sense of desperation. Was this also part of his new power?

Then a new transmission came over the Sutherland's datalink, one the exiled prince found of great interest.

'_It seems that a train filled with Sutherlands is on its way, military hardware to be used to crush what resistance remains, since at least one of the terrorists has a Glasgow. But…if this shipment were to fall into the hands of the resistance…'_

A delightfully wicked smirk spread across his face as the boy laughed, his mind accelerating, plunging forward like a tornado through a wheat-field as it discarded useless possibilities in favor of a scenario for—

'_A presence? No, a strange aura, from the one-armed Glasgow. Could this be one of the champions the green-haired woman spoke of? Whoever it is, the pilot of that machine is proving incredibly skilled...'_

Compared to the production-model Sutherlands that were standard issue for the Britannian Army, the red Glasgow was an outdated, one armed clunker of a Knightmare Frame, less agile, and certainly less powerful in combat. As such, it was rather impressive how it kept avoiding the fire of the two Sutherlands pursuing it, though soon enough, the energy filler would likely run out, and the terrorist within would be captured.

Now, if the pilot were also one of the mysterious "champions", perhaps it would be best to the Glasgow's pilot fall in defeat, lest whoever it was foil his plans later. Then again, given that he, too, was hemmed into the ghetto and needed allies to break through…

'_Whether or not this is a potential foe is meaningless if I do not survive the present.'_

Coming to a decision, he made contact with the rebel forces.

* * *

**Shinjuku Ghetto, Abandoned Building**

From her vantage point in a nearby building, the immortal C.C. looked on as her champion maneuvered the Britannian forces pursuing the Glasgow into a trap. She had gone back to the remains of the terrorists' truck, retrieving the left behind communicator—one that was already pre-set to the right frequencies. So, she was privy to a wonderful show as the Lelouch gave the resistance fighters an entire shipment of Sutherlands as "tools for their victory, " offering them the chance to win.

To a resource-strapped group that had been on the brink of annihilation moments earlier, such a gift was a godsend—and more importantly, a bribe that would ensure at least temporary loyalty.

'_He may not be strong in personal combat, but at least he is useful when it comes to laying out strategies and manipulating others—no doubt a product of his prowess in chess, or perhaps because he is one of your children, Marianne.'_

She wasn't exactly surprised when some time later, the Britannian army, believing that they had the total advantage, fell right into Lelouch's trap, their Knightmares blindsided by a torrent of gunfire and Slash Harkens that reduced them to useless scrap metal.

Another squad, victim to the same fate, as communications officers reported in squawks of raw panic over the radio.

"Ah! They're using the same—"

"The enemy is—"

"—unit lost, unit lost!"

"Wait…change our codes, they're intercepting our transmission," a more rational voice commanded, just before the communicator lost the signal. It was a voice the Witch recognized, and not one she was too terribly pleased to hear, either.

'_General Bartley Asprius , commander of the Code-R research team. One of those who cooperated with V.V and Clovis. What a foolish man.'_

The drama below continued to unfold, with more and more squads committed to the fray, only to be shredded one by one by Lelouch's superior tactics and the teamwork of the resistance. Attacks from behind, attacks from the side, from above—until at last, Clovis committed all remaining Knightmares to a final assault, an overwhelming blow that would certainly stamp out the resistance forces.

Only…the resistance forces were not there.

"What?! The enemy's not---!"

"AHHHH---!"

In a stunning move, the ground below caved in, all but destroying the entire assault force and crippling the morale of the rest. C.C. could picture the likely reaction in the mobile command center, when "mere terrorists" had outwitted the viceroy himself—not that that was very difficult. Having watched over certain of the royal children years ago, the green-haired witch recalled Clovis as being impulsive and unimaginative—at least when it came to strategy.

Which meant that the evil laughter now coming over the communicator was…expected.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I can do it! I can do it! I can crush Britannia!" her champion was declaring, though with his luck (and the karma of an Avenger), even a strategic genius' plan might go FUBAR, since plans are only good until one encounters the enemy.

"Huh? What is that?" one of the rebels was commenting. "It doesn't look like a Sutherla—AHH."

One hit, and the rebel Knightmare was cleaved in twain.

"This is B group," another added frantically, only a moment later. "We're under attack."

It was only one enemy, but in a matter of seconds, four units were taken out—no, five.

"What's happening out there?" the voice of Lelouch demanded over the radio, as the now panicking resistance was filling him in on the little detail about the white Knightmare being able to reflect bullets.

"Arrh, what do we do?"

"Ishida!"

"Ah!"

The white Knightmare finally appeared before her eyes as it continued to slice a swathe of destruction through the rebel Knightmares, and looking at it, the green-haired witch felt an impending sense of danger for her servant.

Z-01 Lancelot, named for the greatest Knight of the Round table—and it was heading unerringly for the building where her champion was hiding.

'_Such frightening power…wearing the armor of the perfect knight. Could it be? The strongest of champions driven by emotion, Berserker?!'_

Berserker, the most physically powerful of the seven original champions, driven by the wired geass to 'live,' letting him or her ignore normal limitations. Not the most intelligent or strategically gifted, but in melee combat, almost impossible to defeat—especially when the champion was already possessed with a superior Knightmare Frame.

Without intervention, Avenger would die.

'_A pity, but I cannot afford to lose this my champion this soon, as it would mean the war is lost as well.'_

C.C.'s eyes widened at the new developments, her mood souring as she moved from her vantage point. The odds had turned against her, and it seemed she would no longer be able to wait for the exiled prince to win this battle by himself.

'_Still, he has done more than I expected…perhaps he might be a useful accomplice after all,' _she grudgingly allowed, '_I do need a champion to face V.V eventually, and even Lelouch could fight off that little boy.'_

Below, a Glasgow had just stopped the Lancelot from destroying Lelouch's Sutherland, but it would soon fall when—

'_Perfect. The Glasgow's pilot has ejected, so there will be no one else around to see me.'_

Bracing herself for the inevitable impact, C.C. took a running start and launched herself from the building she had been perched on top of, aiming herself towards the Lancelot almost directly below. While the pilot was otherwise engaged, he should not—but somehow, the pilot did notice the falling girl, and moved one arm to catch her.

That was a mistake.

The instant the white Knightmare touched her form, C.C. smirked, the symbol on her forehead blazing with light as she invaded the pilot's consciousness, then stepped away, backflipping away from the Knightmare to land gracefully on the ground.

All at once, screams broke out, denials, accusations, wails…

"That's not true! I just-- I—it wasn't a lie!" a frantic voice screeched over military channels. "No, I I didn't have a choice…if I didn't, Japan would have—AUUUUGHHHHHH!"

It was as if a power had invaded Suzaku Kururugi's mind, bringing to the forefront all that he wished to suppressed, forcing him to face the long-repressed truth. His life was a lie, his identity a lie, his peace a lie…all of it a LIE!

'_Blood. Murder. Crime. Lies. Fire. Burning, burning, burning. GUILTY, you are GUILTY, must ATONE and…'_

"NO! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"

'_No rest for the wicked ones, only eternal torment. Blood. Deceit, self-righteousness, despair despair despair, no possibilities for freedom, screaming, raging, trapped in irons, impure impure impure, as failure on the path of SELF-DESTRUCTION. Atone atone atone with death and __**DIE**__.'_

"No! I want to live! I want to LIVE!"

But it was useless. He would live, certainly, but in this condition, there was no way he would be able to move properly, much less pilot an advanced prototype Knightmare, as he had ceased to see reality, drowned in the past.

The Knightmare Frame Lancelot thrashed about, out of control, slamming into buildings, through buildings, into walls, and finally plunged over the edge of the chasm that had claimed so many of the Britannian Knightmare frames before it, going offline while its pilot screamed in anguish.

_'A pity he didn't die, but one takes what one can get...'_

Hopefully, the next time they encountered Berserker, her champion would have a countermeasure or two prepared--or at least a more capable army.

Still, for now, the White Knightmare and its pilot were temporarily out of the way, so C.C. turned to look at the downed Sutherland wherein her own champion sat.

"You have taken too many losses, Avenger, and besides, there is more to be done," the witch suggested, staring down boy within the Knightmare frame. "It would be best if you ordered a retreat, while you still can."

Lelouch vi Britannia wanted to sputter out a refusal, but had to concede that the woman had a point. Had it not been for…whatever she had done…he would have likely died, and he had only a fraction of his forces remaining.

"Very well," the geass-user admitted, "but I want some explanations."

"If I feel like it, Servant," the woman replied, aggravating the exiled prince to no end. "Exactly who saved who this time?"

No response.

"I thought so."

Swallowing his pride, Lelouch sent one last transmission to the rebels, for today.

"All of you are to fall back immediately and evacuate the civilians," he ordered in his native voice of command. "Use the remaining Sutherlands to cover your retreat, but avoid the remaining Britannian forces if at all possible."

That accomplished, he turned his attention back to his...benefactor, he supposed would be the best thing to call her.

"Satisfied, witch?"

"For now, Lelouch," the woman answered, as distant as always. "Now let me on board that Knightmare Frame. There's one more target we both wish to attend to."

* * *

**Mobile Command Center**

Parking the stolen Sutherland behind a ruin, the two made their way on foot towards Clovis' mobile command center, taking care to avoid the patrols in the area. While most of the remaining forces had been sent to suppress Shinjuku and help recover the White Knightmare, it would not do to take undue risks, as even clad in stolen uniforms, the two were more than a bit conspicuous.

To C.C.'s amusement, only one guard stopped to question them, and that was immediately outside Prince Clovis' personal transport. Shooting him and alerting the occupants within was out of the question, so instead the witch launched a quick psychic assault, followed by a blow to the guard's temple which knocked him out flat.

"Fighting is supposed to be the champion's role, you know," she commented to her accomplice, following up with, "besides, what kind of gentleman makes a lady do all the work?"

"I don't want to hear it from an immortal witch."

"Says the little boy who willingly became my servant."

Lelouch grumbled under his breath, but C.C. left him no time to retort, for they were already inside.

Upon entering, the two made their way up to the command center, pausing only to cut off the lights to the upper floors as he did so.

They opened the door only to come face to face with General Bartley, the portly general paling as he realized that his former captive was before him—armed, unsedated, and displeased.

"You…why are you—?"

But his attention was drawn a moment later to the soldier by C.C.'s side, whose Geass held him and his men in thrall.

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you, suffer for your sins and die!"

Once more, a beautiful symphony of suffering broke out, as Absolute Retribution did its work, screams, moans, whimpers, echoing in the space—then cut off, one by one, as their hearts stopped with fear and self-loathing, their bodies broken as they had broken those of others.

Amusingly enough, Price Clovis had been the only one not looking directly at the intruders, and so had been spared, though he recoiled upon seeing his men cast into a living hell, and more so at the identity of the geass user before him

"No…it's impossible," he whimpered, scrabbling back onto his throne to get as far away from the two as possible. "You're dead…you're supposed to be dead!"

"As you will be unless you follow my instructions," Lelouch replied, leveling a gun at the Viceroy's head. "Understood?"

'_It's funny just how quickly fear sobers a person_,' C.C. reflected with amusement, observing how Clovis gave into the demands for a ceasefire, pulling back the Britannian troops and ordering aid to be granted to all injured. _'They wish to live, and so will do almost anything to self-preserve.'_

After the ceasefire was declared, C.C. stepped forward, raising a hand to cut him off before turning to face Clovis directly.

"You cooperated with V.V because you wanted eternity, right?" she asked sardonically, raising her weapon and pointing it at Clovis' face. "Then I'll give it to you…an eternity in C's world."

_Crack!_

One shot, and it was over, the viceroy of Area 11 twitching once-twice, then crumpled like a sack of flesh and bones, dead.

"As for you, Avenger," she spoke coolly, looking her champion in the eye. "The Eden Vital War has only just begun."

* * *

A/N: Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Leave a Review!


	3. Lucid Encounters

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, other elements of the Nasuverse, or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Undisclosed Location**

Quietly, eyes were slowly opened, and like emerging from mud, the consciousness awakened from a deep and fevered sleep. The snow-covered world was illuminated by a ghostly silver light, a white sea with islands of grey over which floated the low-hanging moon. It was a magnificent vista, timeless, a world free from the depredations and violations of man, where even traces of the nightmare of war had faded. A gentle world…

Yet there was no time to enjoy the calming vista, for when Lelouch opened his eyes, he was running as fast as his spindly legs could carry him, his frozen hands clutching two heavy somethings that _thumped_ and _thwacked_ against an elegant cloak with the coldness of metal. Still, given that his fingers would not loosen their grip and that he wasn't the most adept at physical multitasking (unlike mental multitasking, where he could play a game of chess, balance his checkbook, plan out an event for the student council, come up with a new recipe at the same time, and more besides), he couldn't spare the time to take a look.

Already, as if the exiled prince had been running for a while, he was panting, his breathing ragged as his heart pounded _thump-thump-thump-thump_ in his chest, heart rate clearly above anything safe as a sharp pain clenched his chest, his legs screaming out for mercy. Any more running would be impossible, his body cries in protest—but still he ran.

Pain was a small price to pay to continue, for he couldn't afford to stop. Given his sub-par physical abilities, he needed every ounce of distance he could get, every possible bit of energy, for if he stopped, he would be caught by…something. Exactly what, he did not know, but—

"Haa—ahh, haa—ahh…"

'_Caught? But that would mean I'm getting chased, and why would this be so?' _he mused, thinking that if he set his mind on this quandary, that it would help him to ignore the way his skin felt frostbitten in the arctic chill, or the way his breath wheezed and panted as he ran and ran and ran. _'I don't remember doing anything that would warrant this.'_

So the exiled prince thought to himself, mind rifling through hundreds of possibilities for what had gone wrong, and coming up with nothing satisfactory, until—with a grimace he recalled the bloody events of the day. Leading terrorists in rebellion against Britannia, stealing a Knightmare Frame, killing a squad or two of the royal guard, as well as Clovis' command staff and Prince Clovis himself – though technically the last had been the witch's doing—that would certainly do it.

'_Though I don't see how they could have caught me…since we engineered a blackout in the Mobile Command Center, including the security systems. And this scenery doesn't look anything like the Tokyo Settlement—or even Area 11 at this time of year. Have I been abducted, then?'_

Perhaps it was the worst possible scenario: that his identity had been discovered and he had been abducted by some group in the empire looking for political gain. But then, how had he escaped? And were the weights—

With a wince, the exiled prince mustered the effort to raise his arms, only to be surprised (pleasantly or unpleasantly, he couldn't tell). In each of his hands were strangely ornate weapons, decidedly lethal looking gunblades, of all things, with the blades of both bearing inscriptions: '**_Reason_** - _Ultima Ratio Regum' – _literally_ 'Reason - _the last argument of kings' – for one, and '**_Atonement_** - _Ordo ab Chao_" – literally "Atonement – Order from Chaos" – for the other.

To make matters worse, the serrated cutting edges of both were coated with a film of freshly spilled blood—and not his own, meaning that—

'_Wait…a set of gunblades?'_ he asked himself incredulously, taking note of the strangeness of it. The Holy Britannian Empire had not manufactured any of these since the Renaissance, deeming them impractical for use—so where had this set, gleaming silver and black as if new, come from? Had his captor been a collector of antiquities, then? Presumably someone from the Euro Universe, as that was where such weapons had originated? Or—

More to the point, what had he done with them? Had he murdered his captors and escaped? Unlikely, given his physical condition. Was this perhaps a Halloween prank by Milly and the Student Council? Even more unlikely, given the time of year and the fact that Shirley would never have consigned him to the frozen Arctic wastes. Perhaps this was a new form of punishment, or a virtual reality simulation developed by Britannia? No…surely, he would have remembered if that were so.

"Haa, haaaaa, haaaaaaaaaaaa…"

Never one for feats of endurance, breathing came harder now, lungs gasping greedily for whatever they could take in of the frigid air, chest pains becoming more and more aggravated as he went on, his knees threatening to collapse under his weight.

_Thud-thud-thud, _the blood pounded in his ears, raging as if it wanted a way out, wanted to die, wanted to anything but continue. A familiar pain that…something almost out of memory.

Back then, he wasn't holding a weapon, and he wasn't running through this ridiculous snowy field, dotted here and there by ruins, but he had definitely once run like this before, holding a weight behind him.

Why did he run, that time? He knew that if he didn't, he would be killed—or that death would come for him in some other way. He was certain that as a hostage, his life was forfeit the moment when…

When what? He couldn't quite remember.

"Haaa—ahhh, haaa—ahh…"

He staggered on, doing his best to ignore the pain, stumbling forward towards a megalithic ruin as his muscles burned in agony. A temple of some sort, perhaps? An astrological calendar to tell the solstice and the equinox? All he knew was that perhaps it would provide shelter from whatever was behind him, a reprieve from being hunted.

'_Strange…'_ he thought, as he ran forward. The architectural style was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it, and although these ruins were a mere collection of artistically arranged rocks, they seemed to be emanating feelings as if alive. _'Great buildings are said to resonate with their architect's philosophy—and with those who lived in them_. _Could that be the case with these ruins?'_

Superstitious nonsense, really.

No, but what of Geass? What of the green-haired witch's power? Could those not also be dismissed as superstitious nonsense by an unknowing bystander?

_Sch! Sch! Sch! Scht!_

The sound of his footsteps on the snow echoed like ricocheting bullets from stone to stone to stone, making the ruin feel almost haunted, radiating a feeling of antagonism against visitors that intensified with every step he took. When he first stepped in, he thought it was a normal set of deserted ruins, weathered and abandoned by time, but the deeper he went into the labyrinthine passages, the darker his impression of those feelings became.

'_Perhaps I should continue,'_ he thought to himself, willing his body to move. _'Especially since my pursuer is still coming…'_

Step-step-step, _creak!_

The ground shifted ever so slightly below him, and looking down, Lelouch realized that he had just stepped out onto a frozen lake.

'_Will it hold my weight?'_

That was the question, for stopping was not an option. Tentatively, the exiled prince took another step forward, holding his breath.

_Creak!_

The same sound, but nothing further. The ice would hold for now, just barely, and if he was lucky, his pursuer would attempt to follow and be lost in the frigid darkness of the waters below.

_Step-step-step_ again, heading out away from shore.

As frail as he was, Lelouch knew that he was losing too much heat, and that it would be prudent to find shelter soon. But where?

_There!_

A flash of light from slightly off of center, and a glint of…something metallic? His eyes followed the light to its origin, alighting with a sense of frenzied relief on a small island up ahead.

More ruins here, but…something bright as well. What could it be?

A mystery true enough, but surely it could be no worse than freezing to death.

_Clip-clop! Clip-clop! Clip-clop!_

Echoing footsteps behind, he stepped faster, dredging the last bits of strength from his body to push forward, disregarding the pain that suffused each movement. Forward, forward, mechanically placing foot after foot—

In an instant, he was surrounded by cacophony.

Sibilant babbling, whispers and breathy moans, issuing from the source of light.

He knew that he should stop, but he could not, his feet already used to the rhythm he set long ago, leading him past the ring of snow-covered stones, past—

"Au—eek!"

With a small sound of protest, the young man stumbled, barely catching himself from falling over completely. His form was shaking, ready to give out for good, but the cold feeling of metal digging into his shins, and a sharp _clink!_ pulled his awareness off his weariness.

'_What? A chain?'_

That was indeed what he had tripped over, a chain from one of the menhir in the outer ring. But where did it lead? Following its path with his eyes, Lelouch's gaze came at last to a flash of green—a figure on a stately throne of ice. It was the witch who had given him a Geass and claimed him as a servant, or a being that looked exactly like her, clad in a gown befitting an empress, her body held upright by a hundred frozen chains that bound her hands and feet, a broken blade suspended above her head.

"What the—" Lelouch uttered at the spectacle before him, for once taken aback.

"You should not be here, Avenger."

An impossible voice.

Confusion rising from within, he turned to face the presence behind him, attempting to raise his gunblades at—

"You? But aren't you—"

He bit his tongue before he can say anything too foolish, keeping the impossibly heavy gunblades pointed at the green-haired witch. Yet, was it truly C.C? This version of her was dressed in a black dress of the elegant gothic Lolita style, and her hair was much longer than before—down past her hips, in fact. As if slightly impressed, she moved her lips ever so slightly.

"That is correct, Servant," she spoke coldly, studying the exiled prince's frozen form critically. "I am the Code-bearer some call C.C. Hmm…I thought you were worthless, but perhaps you have some use after all, seeing as you managed to come this far."

The woman looked at the young man expectantly, and with that, he narrowed his eyes.

"…You…who are you?"

It was obvious to him at a glance that this was not the C.C. he thought he knew. The one most resembling the woman that he had encountered was she who was bound—

"I already told you," the witch repeated, rather more imperiously. "I am C.C., though I suppose in your eyes I would be the guardian of her immortal memories."

"Eh?"

'_This…is not C.C. And this woman who is not C.C. is saying something incomprehensible.'_

"Guardian of her memories?"

From the lips of the immortal came a harsh, dissonant laugh that does not seem to suit her, one that echoed strangely in the acoustics of the surrounding megalith.

"That is how I would explain it simply," the witch's doppelganger continued, her cold gaze unwavering. "Code-bearers live on a different scale even from champions, continuing long past the life and death of civilizations. Accordingly, we are indefinite creatures, fearing neither the future nor the past, existing in many times. I am a manifestation of that immortality, the keeper of memories themselves."

Her voice lacked feeling, but her movements betrayed unease…even a sense of loneliness.

"And yet you are not C.C.?"

The logic was convoluted enough, but…

"That is correct, Avenger," came the reply. "If you were to give me a name, it would be Zero."

With that, the self-styled Zero turns to leave, walking away with elegant steps, dress floating behind her.

_Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!_

Such tiny sounds these, and yet each one echoes like thunder against the ring of stones.

"Wait!" Lelouch commanded, in the sternest voice he knew, sending the mental command to switch on his Geass. "Help me now, or else."

As expected, the woman turned her head to look at him, though only to raise an eyebrow and cluck in amusement.

"Foolish servant, Geass does not work in this place."

"Wh-at?" he questioned, taken aback.

"Haven't you noticed anything strange?" came a question in turn. "The clothes you wear, the gunblades you carry, the fact that you have not yet collapsed from fatigue? This is not your world, but a phantasm world linked to the World of C, a plane accessible only to champions and Code-bearers. Here, you have the full abilities of Avenger, not just the Geass through which your powers are channeled into the world of masks."

She turned away once more, and shaking her head, sighs in annoyance.

"Now leave."

The symbol of Geass glowed bright from her shadowed form, and light came forth like a net, shredding Avenger's body into a thousand meaty slivers.

* * *

**Lelouch Lamperogue's Room, Ashford Academy**

"_GUUAHHHHHHH!" _

_Thump!_

With a scream, the exiled prince bolted upright out of bed and fell to the floor, panicking as he moved his hands to his hand, his feet, his face, his gut to check that they're still attached. Only when he finished did reason return, though a sharp phantom pain was still there, lingering in every inch of his body.

"Haa…aaah…hhaa…ahh…haaa…"

It took quite a few minutes for his breathing to calm and to suppress his involuntary shaking, his eyes flittering across his surroundings to make sure there was nothing suspicious about. No, nothing is out of the ordinary, except—

A shadowy form was looming over him, and he turned to face it gingerly, only to find himself looking into a set of amused golden eyes.

"Why are you on the floor?" the Geass witch gently teased, arching one of her eyebrows. "The bed not comfortable enough for you—or am I just that repulsive that you have to scream?"

"What the hell did you do to me?" Lelouch demanded, not in the mood for her games. "And what was that snowy field?"

"It's not very polite to invade a lady's mind, you know," C.C. answered obliquely, reaching out and giving her servant's face a shake. "Even if you are my champion, there are limits to decency."

"…Don't make me use my Geass on you," the exiled prince threatened, triggering the mental switch.

"Go ahead and try," the witch replied with deadpan smirk.

"So be it. Suffer the pain you just gave me," he commanded, the sigil of Geass flaring in his left eye as he stared down the witch.

But nothing happened.

"In case you didn't know, Geass doesn't work on me," C.C. commented, looking at her servant's confused face.

_Flick! Crash!_

Her fingers shot out and flicked the young man's forehead, knocking his head back far enough to hit the ground, where he lay with a moan.

There was ruffling of sheets as C.C. laid back down and prepared to sleep once more, uncaring of the state of her champion.

"As for the snowy field?" she murmured with a sigh. "Just a Phantasm World…"

"…meaning?"

A yawn this time. Evidently, C.C. was not fond of being woken up in the middle of the night for explanations.

"In a fight, you can choose to face a champion there if its inconvenient to do so physically," the witch said at last, closing her eyes. "Knowing what a terrible champion you are, I suspect you will be using it often..."

'…_damned witch.'_

* * *

A/N: Since you're all probably a little curious about Lelouch's stats as a servant, I've taken the time to post them here.

* * *

**Information on Servant Avenger**

Personal Information:

True Name: Lelouch vi Britannia  
Class: Avenger  
Champion of: C.C.  
Alignment: Chaotic Good

Strength: E

Endurance: E

Agility: D

Luck: E

Mana (Phantasm World): EX

Noble Phantasm: C

Details: 

"_What does one do when there is an evil one cannot defeat by just means? Does one stain one's hands with evil to destroy evil, or does one remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?" – Lelouch vi Britannia_

Lelouch vi Britannia is the former Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, son of the Emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia, and the late Imperial Consort Marianne. Exiled from Britannia after renouncing his claim to the throne in the wake of his mother's assassination (and his sister's crippling) and sent to Japan as a political hostage, he was presumed dead after the Britannian conquest of what has become known as Area 11.

With the aid of the Ashford family, he managed to hide his true identity (along with his sister's) and live in relative peace for several years, until he encountered the enigmatic C.C. while returning from a successful match of high-stakes chess. Given a choice between continuing to live or dying meaninglessly, he accepted a contract with C.C., becoming servant Avenger in this Eden Vital War and gaining the Geass of Absolute Retribution.

Motivated by the desire to avenge his mother's death and construct an ideal world where his sister Nunnally could live in peace, Lelouch is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal, which may include lying to his followers and using people as bait for the outcome he desires. This combined with his genius-level intellect, capable of devising and executing strategies with incredible speed and precision, renders him a formidable challenger on a global scale.

Physically, however, Lelouch is rather underwhelming, and even when fighting in a Phantasm World, he seems to be the weakest of Servants in every parameter. While he does have some skill with firearms, his twin gun blades "Reason" and "Atonement" are rather limited in range, and his skill in manipulating them as melee weapons is only average compared to other servants.

Skills:

**Riding**: B

Ability to ride / pilot things or creatures. Avenger can ride most vehicles (including Knightmare Frames) with above average skill, though not the frames requiring nearly superhuman devicers.

**Charisma**: B

Natural talent to command an army. It increases the ability of one's army during mass combat. Charisma is a rare talent, and B-rank is enough to lead a country.

**Battle Continuation**: B

Does not give up easily / the ability to stay alive. It allows for battle even on the verge of death, and allows the user to stay alive until they recieve a clearly fatal blow.

**Mind's Eye (True)**: B (C)

A "combat logic" that allows for calm analysis of the situation and the enemy's ability in spite of danger, and consideration of all possible actions in a particular situation. If there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of success. However, if he is distracted during battle by a threat to his younger sister Nunnally, this ability is reduced by one rank.

**Memory Partition**: C

Used to split the mind into several autonomous parts like a computer. Avenger can manage up to 5 partitions at once, allowing excellence in multitasking and strategy.

**Military Tactics**: B

Tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized. Avenger's mastery of chess allows him to have a clear understanding of how to organize battles, though he occasionally forgets that both his allies and opponents are also human.

**Expert of Many Specializations**: A

A total of 32 different skills ranging from tactics, academia, espionage, assassination, swindling, rhetoric and others can be used with proficiency of Rank B or above

**Not for One's Own Glory**: B

Ability to conceal personal nature as a Servant, as Avenger is not one of the standard 7 Classes. In addition, when in a Phantasm World, Avenger may mimic the appearance and aura of any Servant he has previously encountered, though is unable to replicate their abilities or Noble Phantasms.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Geass of Absolute Retribution**: This geass forces victims to suffer the equivalent of the pain they have inflicted on others. The user may specify any acts (past or present), or all acts in totality, with the consequence as pure pain or wounds up to and including death. One may also inflict a conditional geass, activating if a person commits a specific crime against another. This ability requires eye contact (counting reflective surfaces) for initial activation, but ceasing eye contact does not need to be maintained for the effect to take place. It can be used more than once per person.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Reason** and **Atonement : **C  
A pair of black and silver gunblades with unlimited ammunition, these are Avenger's primary weapons, striking from range in the spirit of an incarnation of Vengeance. If an opponent has Mind's Eye (Fake) or (True), '**Reason** - _Ultima Ratio Regum' _will lower it by one rank on a successful hit, with a limit of two ranks lowered, else lowering luck by one rank instead. The other gunblade, '**Atonement** - _Ordo ab Chao',_ has the ability to seal one of an opponent's Noble Phantasms upon a successful hit.

**Verg Avesta**: An ability that can only be used as a counterattack.  
Avenger is able to reflect all damage his opponents deal to him back at them. The main problem with this skill is that it is not automatic, but needs to be consciously activated, meaning that Avenger not only needs to be harmed, but remain alive and conscious for it take effect, thus making it useless against any higher-level attacks.

**Fragarach**: The ultimate form of counterattack, an unavoidable strike carried out in response to an enemy's strongest ability. It both kills the enemy and nullifies their attack, creating a perfect balance between offensive and defensive capabilities. However, it is a far less convenient ability than it sounds, since it can only be used at full potential against an enemy's most powerful strike, otherwise its power is reduced to that of a mere Rank D attack. Based on the magical sword Fragarach from Irish mythology, said to be forged by the gods


	4. Phantasmagoria

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse, or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

Lelouch vi Britannia, in his guise as the simple Britannian student (and Vice-Present of the Student Council) Lelouch Lamperouge, was not having a good day. After the strange encounter in his dreams last night, he had found himself unable to go back to sleep, and so had spent the dwindling stock of hours till dawn lying awake on the floor, while the green-haired witch slept comfortably in his bed.

Given C.C.'s utter disregard for protocol and common courtesy, the exiled prince would ordinarily not have hesitated to kick her off the bed and claim it for himself, but with the illusory pain from his body being reduced painfully to rust-colored paste (in the witch had called a "Phantasm World") still lingering, compounded by an all too clear recollection of how she had _stopped a rampaging Knightmare with a touch, _he decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

Though it would probably have done no good even if he had made the attempt, given that C.C. was not only stronger than him physically (not that that meant much), but likely possessed an arsenal of skills that would make his own pale in comparison. He couldn't be certain of this, but what little information the champion had gleaned strongly suggested that it would be…unwise to underestimate her. Caution seemed prudent when dealing with an immortal who simply by existing for however long she had, had become a veritable master of Schrödinger Fu, which in layman's terms, simply meant the art of being unpredictable.

To make matters worse, while his sleep-deprived mind churned and raged, calmly analyzing the situation as best it could, dawn crept up on him with a vengeance, almost driving the poor lad to utter a curse or three against sunlight, mornings, and all else that involved getting up to face the day. Still, at least he had somehow summoned up the energy to clean and dress himself, even managing to seem lifelike enough to keep his sister Nunnally from worrying too much.

'_And spending time with Nunnally is far more pleasant than this unsavory task…'_

Ordinarily, the Vice President of Ashford Academy's Student Council would not have minded so much. Indeed, he usually thought of his fellow council members' antics as quaint, even amusing on occasion. Today was an exception, as their antics only exacerbated what was effectively a hangover, meaning that Lelouch Lamperouge, one of the only competent members of the council (or so he thought to himself) wanted nothing more than to catch up on much needed sleep.

As fate would have it, however, the universe was about to throw a crimp in his plans. This time, the disruption came in the rather attractive form of his superior and childhood friend, Student Council President Milly Ashford, who was quite literally beating him over the head with his unfinished work.

"Wake up Lelouch!" the curvaceous blonde's rather insistent voice demanded, piercing through the mental fog with ease. "I know you were sleeping. Your hands stopped moving!"

'_A pity that she's always been so observant,' _the raven-haired prince thought to himself, suppressing a frown in favor of the unflappable 'cool' image that had become almost second nature. _'As much as I admire her enthusiasm, sometimes—oh well, back to work then.'_

"Well, you don't have to beat me up over it, do you?" Lelouch asked almost plaintively, a tad miffed that he had been caught in the act.

Rivalz, the friend of Lelouch who often served as his chauffeur to and from his high-stakes chess matches, was not so sympathetic, instead haranguing the prince over vanishing the day before in a futile attempt to curry favor with his unrequited love.

"That's right! What was up with you yesterday?" added a rather irate orangette, the usually cheery and upbeat girl refusing to meet his eyes. Apparently, she was still angry at him for hanging up on her the other day, nevermind that that untimely phone call could have cost Lelouch his life had C.C. not offered him a contract. As it was…

"Um, well..." the purple-eyed prince fumbled for a perfect answer, only to find to his dismay that there wasn't one. Shirley knew perfectly well (and disapproved the fact) that he had been out gambling on yet another chess match yesterday, and to explain further would be—

"That's enough, you guys!" the Student Council President broke in, her voice of reason thankfully drawing the attention of the others away from mentally frazzled Avenger, and back to the reason they were all gathered in this room. "Let's not get side-tracked here. If we don't come up with a fix for the club activities budget, we won't have money left for anything at all."

"Yeah, and if that happens, the Equestrian club will be pissed. You don't want them to come charging in here on horseback to shake us down for funds," Rivalz quipped, just as a horse and rider cantered past the great window of the clubroom, causing everyone to blink for a moment. "See?"

_Smack!_

This earned him a fish-eyed stare from Nina, absolutely no reaction from Lelouch, and a rolled up newspaper to the head from Milly.

"Rivalz, can't you be a more serious student council member?" the blonde complained, rather critical of her lazy subordinate. Yes, she knew perfectly well that Rivalz had a crush on her, and was trying to impress her, but was no excuse for his irreverence for work. If only Rivalz was more like Lelouch, then maybe—

Before that poisonous line of thought could burrow its way into the back of her mind, she shut it out, mentally stomping, staking, and burying it just to be sure.

"You know, if that was the case, you should have told us about this mess a day ago!" the blue-haired Rivalz protested, trying to push responsibility off of himself—one of the worst qualities for a woman to see in a man. "Or maybe a day later. Then we would have given up."

Defeatism was not an especially attractive quality either.

"Well then, let's get to work," Lelouch suggested, eyeing his own stack of papers with trepidation. "Or at this rate, even your 'GUTS' spell won't do any good."

_Thwack! _

This time, it was Lelouch who earned a firm smack to the head with Milly's infamous roll of paper.

'_It's a good thing that her GUTS spell isn't really magic, or she would have likely reinforced that roll of paper to be as hard as steel by now,'_ he thought to himself wryly, involuntarily bringing a hand up to touch the place she had struck—the twin of where C.C. had shot Clovis. All at once, he found himself faced with a new bout of nausea, but as he had experienced worse in the last 24 hours, he was able to suppress it. _'Not that remembering my body being torn to pieces is any more pleasant…'_

"Don't doubt in my power!" the Ashford heir chastised the exiled prince, a sassy smirk gracing her lips. "With 'GUTS', we can do anything!"

"I agree!" Shirley chimed in, raising her hand supportively, while giving one of her delightfully cheery smiles. "'GUTS' certainly always gets me going!"

It was probably too much to expect Milly (infamous tease that she was) to pass up an opportunity like this, especially coming from someone as innocent as Shirley.

"So nice and obedient," the Student Council President noted with approval, straightening up to flash a sultry smile at the younger girl, hands on her hips emphasizing her hourglass figure. "Supple and willing…just what I like."

Not surprisingly, Shirley missed the double meaning of the byplay completely.

"You've trained me well, Madame President," the orangette boasted, pumping her arm for emphasis, only to blink in confusion as Milly chuckled at her naïveté. "What?"

"That's not what I meant," Milly corrected sly, her gaze dropping to where the curves of Shirley's breasts bulged from beneath her school blazer. "I checked you out in the girl's bathroom yesterday. You've been filling out in all the right places, huh?"

Combined with an outright leer, and a lecherous chuckle from Rivalz, this wrung out a startled gasp from Shirley, who covered herself up with a look of surprise.

"Wh- wh-what are you talking about, you perv?" the orangette demanded, flushing violently. "Geez, our president's just a dirty old man, isn't she, sullying the meeting with her filthy mind?"

Everyone had a good laugh at that, even Milly herself, and afterwards, the work seemed lighter. In a matter of hours, it was done. The budget was balanced, the crisis resolved, and there would be no more than an even chance of the equestrian club charging into the clubroom in outrage.

One by one, Rivalz, Nina, and Shirley filed out, and just as Lelouch was about to follow…

"Sorry, Lulu, but could you stay a moment?" Milly asked of him, eyes shining with anticipation. When she looked like that, even the Black Prince did not have the heart to refuse her, since she _had_ done so much for him in the past. And if he did, Lelouch had the feeling that his refusal would come back to bite him in the ass later—perhaps at one of the cross-dressing balls she was so fond of organizing.

"Sure, Milly, what can I do for you?" the exile replied, making sure his social mask was still in place. Hopefully, it wouldn't be something too humiliating, though at the moment, he would welcome a distraction from the mass of information he was wrangling with.

"There's a student in your class by the name of Kallen Stadtfeld, do you know her?"

"Only the name," Lelouch admitted, rifling through the class roster in his mind, furrowing his brow as he recalled an empty desk. "She hasn't been here at school since this whole term started."

"Keeping tabs on her now, are we Lulu?" the blonde teased, eyes glinting wickedly.

Having known her for quite a few years, Lelouch knew better than to answer, as dignifying her accusation with a reply would simply be giving her more ammunition. An admission would be suicidal, and a denial—well, she'd take that as a tsundere's confession, so the best course was to wait it out.

"Ah, you're no fun, Lelouch," Milly pouted, seeing that her subordinate wasn't about to rise to the bait. "Well, with her poor health, she'd have a hard time with regular club activities, so my grandfather wants us to induct her into the student council."

"The principal does?" he questioned, receiving a nod as reply. But there had to be something more, a reason she had asked for him to stay specifically. "So why are you telling me this?"

"Well, I thought it best if you went and invited her to the clubhouse," Milly replied in cloyingly honey-sweet tones, sitting on the table across from the prince and turning the full force of a teasing 'come-hither' look on him. "After all, you _are_ the school heartthrob."

'_I should have known it would be something like this,'_ Lelouch thought to himself, feeling the inexplicable urge to bring his palm to his forehead welling up from within. But then a thought occurred to him, one that brought a devilish smirk to his face as well, surprising his childhood friend. _'I wonder if my Geass works non-verbally, on emotional humiliation…'_

"But Milly," the prince replied slowly, activating the power of Absolute Retribution. In his mind, he specified all the incidents that had involved Milly teasing Shirley he could remember, willing her to feel the same. "What would Shirley think?"

At those words, Milly's eyes flew open in surprise. She'd thought the dark-haired vice president to be rather…dense…in that regard, but now…

"Oh, is someone interested at last?" she answered with a question of her own, only half joking. "Don't tell me it was my comment about check…uuhnnnn…"

A soft, involuntary moan forced its way past her lips, as Milly's mouth fell open a fraction, eyes glazing over….

"Lulu…ahhhnnn…uuhhnnn…punish me Lulu…"

Her arms desperately tried to cover herself—or was it touch herself?—wrapping around her voluptuous frame as her features distorted in a haze of pleasure, breathing growing ragged as whimpers, moans, and yelps escaped her unwilling lips, her body shivering.

Milly threw back her head as an icy fire raced up her spine, flooded her nerves; her vision burnt out and she was seeing with her skin, mind flooding with a deluge of mingled pain and pleasure under Lelouch's magic gaze. A live wire conducting a feeling so intense, it was impossible to describe, spine arching backwards as she flailed to an unseen rhythm.

"AH, AH, AH, AH, AH!"

Faster the moans came, faster, sweat racing down her back and brow as the world was swept away, growing white hot—

"Ahnnn…oh no…I…I…oh…oh…oh…LULU!"

A last scream, as the orchestra of sensation reached its climax and Milly collapsed, body numb as she slumped to the table, skin quivering...eyes coming to focus on a beet-red prince with an flushed expression full of bliss, perhaps, with affection, gratitude, and maybe even some…lust?

Her soft blue eyes as they regarded him were tired, but gentle, for a moment devoid of that driving energy that had always denoted "Milly" in Lelouch's mind, and the prince found that he could not meet her gaze, aristocratic bravado breaking down entirely.

This had been his fault _entirely_, but—

Warmth.

The raven-haired prince looked down again to see a soft hand cupping his cheek, as the older of the two took the initiative, forcing him to look at her, at all of her, even as she was now. Blue met violet as a forced glance became a lingering one, only the sound of their breathing breaking silence in the musky clubroom.

"Uh…I…" Lelouch tried to find words to explain himself—tried and ultimately failed, since he didn't know what to say. He couldn't admit to having Geass, nor to what he had just done so…

"So tell me Lulu…is that how your father won over his 108 wives?" the voice of the busty blonde interrupted, raising one of her golden eyebrows inquisitively. "And why the girls are so excited when you look at them?"

Her voice was gentle, but would brook no falsehood, not after what had just transpired.

"I…uh…well…"

"Don't be coy, I'm talking about your magic eye, silly," she drawled out, causing the prince to do a double take. She chuckled at this, knowing that Lelouch liked to think of himself as hard to read. "Oh, don't look so surprised…I saw that bird-like symbol in your eye right before _this_ happened. I notice things you know…especially when they're about you."

'…_how did this happen?'_ he thought to himself, mentally screaming that this was not in his pre-planned scenario, either for school life or for taking down Britannia. Somewhere in the universe, Lelouch was sure, the gods were laughing at him for his run of horrible, horrible luck.

"It…runs in the family," he managed weakly, giving the blonde a feeble attempt at a smile. Little did he know that this was technically true, since both his mother and father had also been Geass users. Still, he had to make sure that... "Look, I'd appreciate it if you'd…"

"So this is another one of your dark secrets, eh, Lulu?" Milly broke in, anticipating what he was about to say, rather sardonically. "Mystic Eyes of Little Death Perception, eh? My my, when they said most guys rape people with their eyes, I didn't know you could do that literally."

A beat later, she chuckled weakly, something that the prince could not share, as the remark held quite a bit of truth, a little too much truth to be entirely comfortable, in fact. Chagrined, embarrassed, and more than a little bit flustered, a grunt of "Heh" was all that he managed before he looked away, out the window at the courtyard of the Academy.

"So uncomfortable…this is so like you, always the tease," the blonde chided, her breath returning to normal, though her cheeks were still flushed.

Lelouch only raised an eyebrow in response.

"Oh, you know it's true, that cool, distant look of yours…don't forget I know you, Lulu," she reprimanded him yet again, her hand having found its way to his where—she was apparently threatening him with her nails.

Daring to glance at her again, the exiled prince saw that Milly was glaring at him, lips pursed considering.

"You didn't do this to Shirley, right?" she asked, voice low and dangerous. "That's not why she's after you is it?"

This at last, he could answer with complete honesty.

"Of course I didn't," he denied, voice perhaps a little more vehemence than necessary. "You're the only one I—"

He stopped, puzzled by the stunned look on Milly's face, for upon hearing this, the Student Council President's expression had lit up, like the cat that swallowed the canary. At long last, she had learned something else about her long-unrequited love, feeling a sense of satisfaction now that she knew something else about the man.

"Good, then…it will be our little sec—ret", she said, voice once again turned coy and teasing, with traces of a sultry smirk upon her lips as fingers reached out and pulled his face down to hers so that they were less than an inch apart. "Just like everything else about you that I already know."

Before he could ask what she meant, the blonde's face moved forward ever so slightly to close the gap between their lips, shocking her prince to no end as her tongue darted out, tracing the contours of his mouth and where his surprisingly soft lips came together as she looked into his eyes.

And then it was over, that stolen moment of passion ended.

"Oh, and don't bother apologizing, Lelouch vi Britannia," the heir of Ashford whispered, daring to speak her love's true name in ages as her hot breath tickled his ear. "I'll. Just. Have. You. Take. Responsibility_. _For. This."

Her eyes glistened with the maddeningly meaningful certainty of hers that she was going to remember this and probably find some way to tease him about it when other people were around in a way that no one would understand but them. Or perhaps…

Brushing past the still stunned prince, Milly slid off the table and got to her feet. Pausing for a moment to study the profile of the one she knew well, she let out a small thoughtful "hm", then with a last sashay of her hips, left the room, the sound of her steps seeming…lighter, somehow as they _tap, tap, tapp_ed away down the corridor.

But lest he forget his duties…

"Oh Lulu, don't forget to talk to Kallen," her voice drifted to the man left behind her, as if the president were confident that her subordinate would hear and obey. "The induction party for her is tomorrow in the clubroom."

'_I suppose_ _I will accept that geass…'_

The moment Milly was out of sight and sound, Lelouch collapsed to floor for the second time that day, hand against his forehead in the classic "facepalm" maneuver. While it really didn't have any medicinal value besides as a placebo effect, at least it would let him rest in darkness for a while as well as help ward off another headache he just knew was coming.

'_Milly…she…'_

Now she knew about his 'magic eye', as it were, and…

Almost unconsciously, his other hand had found itself to his lips, where slender fingers came to rest, tracing where his friend has just kissed…

'_Arrghh…My God, what have I done?'_

In his mind, he could already hear the laughter of the green-haired witch, as would no doubt be result the result if she ever found out about this situation. In fact, he could even imagine what she might say, in that pleasantly caustic tone of hers.

'_You really should have known better than to use your Geass against a closet masochist secretly in love with you, you dense little boy. Now, be a good servant and order me a pizza.'_

* * *

**Britannian Military Hospital, Tokyo Settlement**

At the hospital where the victims of the Shinjuku Incident were being treated, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald found himself lost in thought as he sat by Viletta Nu's bedside, waiting for his subordinate to awaken from her catatonic stupor. She had been like that when the search and rescue team had found her, curled into a ball and rocking back and forth, next to the twisted corpses of a squad of elite royal guards, her Sutherland nowhere to be seen...and so she had remained, despite the best efforts of the staff physicians.

The Margrave knew full well that his subordinate was no rookie to battle, having experienced combat many times, so he doubted the official diagnosis of a catatonic stated induced by Combat Stress Reaction. Though he was willing to concede that that _might _be the correct identification of whatever ailed Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi, the Honorary Britannian who had piloted the Z-01 Lancelot into battle, tearing through resistance forces with impunity—until for some reason, he had been reduced to a gibbering wreck, screaming about how he "had had no other choice" and that something he did was "for the sake of Japan."

As one motivated by guilt and failure himself, the Margrave knew that these feelings—if repressed—had a way of finding their way to the fore at the worst times, where they ate away at confidence, at sanity, at one's ability to function until one simply _snapped._ Even to this day, Jeremiah Gottwald remembered how he had failed Empress Marianne vi Britannia…how in his absence, the woman he had so respected had been violently gunned down in an incident that had left her dead and her daughter Nunnally crippled.

The Knight of Honor remembered how brave young Lelouch had demanded an investigation into his mother's death—and how the young prince had been cast aside, sent into exile along with his sister as a political hostage. And he remembered how those two siblings had been reported dead in the Britannian takeover of Japan, a move that was strategically sound, but had been so politically ruthless, as if the lives of human beings were merely chess pieces to be sacrificed and traded for victory.

But what could the young Honorary Britannian be guilty of that so stained his soul and demanded atonement? Searching for an answer to that question had left Jeremiah Gottwald at a loss, and he had watched impassively as screams had become pleas, then whimpers and snivels, ending in a rictus of horror on Warrant Officer Kururugi's face as he fell silent at last.

'_A rictus of terror…'_

That was exactly the expression that had been found on the corpses of the royal guard and Prince Clovis' entire command staff – including the incompetent General Bartley Asprius, former civil servant that he was, and his staffers. But what could possibly terrified them to such an extent that they would have just died, with no trace of poison gas and no obvious wounds?

If he were the superstitious sort, Gottwald would have said that a demon had awakened in Shinjuku, but seeing as he was a rational man not prone to these sorts of delusions, it instead seemed obvious that the rebels had some powerful new weapon capable of killing en masse without a trace—and a method to break through the heaviest security the Empire could manage to impose.

'_But if so…why haven't they used it more fully?'_ was the unspoken question in his mind. _'And why did they go after the poison gas? Was it their attempt to lure _us_ into a trap?'_

If that were indeed the case, then it had been successful, with a handful of resistance members and a Glasgow managing to capture or destroy dozens of Sutherlands. Jeremiah himself, an elite Knightmare pilot considered by many to be the equal of one of the Knight of Rounds, had been easily outmaneuvered early in the battle, with the rebels somehow capturing a train of Sutherlands and launching a perfectly coordinated ambush that would made Generals in the Empire green with envy, destroying overwhelming numbers with a fraction of the force.

Only the White Knightmare had slowed them down, the advanced prototype apparently an unpredicted variable in the rebel leader's calculations, but the rebels had soon rallied by using their mysterious new weapon, whatever it was, disabling the Knightmare by traumatizing its pilot.

They had retreated after that, but the damage had been done. The entire military command staff of Area 11 was dead (with only Earl Lloyd Asplund, who was outside of the normal chain of command, surviving), and Prince Clovis was _missing, _seeming to have vanished into thin air, with the only trace of him being a splatter of blood on the mobile command center's throne.

As a Margrave and the leader of the Purist Faction, this left Jeremiah Gottwald as the ranking officer in Area 11, meaning that he would have to take the role of Acting-Viceroy in this dire situation.

'_And as everyone that could be blamed for or questioned about this is either dead or catatonic…I will not get answers anytime soon.'_

Many of the Knightmare pilots that had been stationed in Tokyo were dead, with more injured, and yet more demoralized by rumors of what had happened to those who fought the rebels. Worse, the White Knightmare, the only thing that had shown success at holding back the rebels' assaults, was heavily damaged and would take _at least_ two weeks to repair—and its pilot too, was one of those who had been afflicted by the strange malady.

'_So, in preliminary analysis, we are dealing with a strategic genius, who organized the rebels to decisively defeat our attacking forces, disabled a prototype Knightmare superior to any on the field, deployed a literal weapon of terror, and snuck past the best security arrangements we could arrange to murder the command staff and do God knows what with the Prince.'_

He almost hated to think it, but if the Prince had been conclusively killed, things would almost have been easier. As it was, the system was paralyzed, and bureaucracy would no doubt slow his appointment to acting-viceroy.

All in all, it was not a good day to be Jeremiah Gottwald.

* * *

**Ashford Academy**

After Lelouch recovered from his mild case of post-kiss catatonia-a debilitating affliction that tended to favor males that had just had their first kiss, the prince realized to his dismay that classes were about to begin. Ordinarily, he would have just skipped, but given that his habit of cutting classes (usually PE, which explained his physical weakness and lack of stamina) was fast building up absences and that he had a mission from Milly to complete, the raven-haired prince decided that it would be best to just grit his teeth and bear it.

'_If she finds out what happened today, that witch is never going to let me hear the end of it…'_

Dismissing that, the champion instead chose to mull over something more puzzling—namely, how he would act around Milly next time he saw her. Or Rivalz, knowing that his friend had a crush on Milly. Or Shirley, knowing that she was Milly's best friend.

'_Why do human relationships have to be so complicated?'_

His thoughts occupied by these things, Avenger almost missed a strange presence as he entered the classroom.

'_That aura…I've felt it before…from the Glasgow in Shinjuku!'_ he realized, his eyes darting over towards the source of the phenomena to find—

"Kallen! It's been ages!" one of the less well known students broke in, identifying the one he was looking at.

Granted, the girl's red hair was worn loose and straight today, as opposed to her shorter, spikier-do with a headband that she had been wearing the day before, but Lelouch knew that face well, if only because as an ill girl, she was an abnormality.

"—Kallen Stadtfeld?" Lelouch mumbled to himself, recognizing the person as the terrorist from the truck in Shinjuku…as well as the Glasgow pilot. "Of course. That's why she seemed so familiar."

He tried to remain discreet, as he sat down, it seemed that his momentary flicker of attention had apparently been noticed by his friend Rivalz.

"What's up, buddy? See something you like?" the fellow Student Council Member veritably chirped, leaning over the prince's shoulder, his eyes widening for a moment at the sight of Kallen's rather buxom form. "Oh-ho...you've got a thing for her, don't ya?"

For all that Rivalz could be an amusing character, Lelouch did wish that his overly-energetic friend would learn how to be a tad bit circumspect, considering that Shirley was less than 3 meters away and could likely hear everything, adding to the library of misunderstandings that had cropped up recently.

"Just thinking this is a rare event," the exile answered smoothly, giving part of the truth. The best lies were not lies at all, but simply the truth, partially told. "She hasn't been here at school since this whole term started."

"Kallen Stadtfeld," Rivalz murmured, as if looking up the name in his mental database of attractive women. "They say she's sick or somethin', and she barely showed up at school last year either. Still, her grades are at the top of the class, and she's a member of the Stadtfeld family, which means she's well-bred and rolling in money. Man, you sure know how to pick 'em."

Now why was it that Rivalz thought that the champion finally noticing a girl meant that he was interested in her romantically? Though he supposed it was his reputation as the school's idol, who girls flocked to be around, especially when he was made the center of strange holiday events by a certain Milly Ashford.

"It's not like that," Lelouch denied easily, remembering one of the other reasons he had noticed her. "Milly asked me to invite her to join the Student Council."

"Aah, Prez is playing matchmaker again," Rivalz rejoined, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "You don't have to hide it…though she's a touch too sheltered though, if you ask me."

'_Sheltered?'_ the prince scoffed in his mind, making sure to show no trace of this on his face. _'Only if a Knightmare piloting terrorist could be considered sheltered.'_

Then classes started, the instructor droning on and on _ad nauseum_, and Lelouch went back to pondering the specifics of his Geass, among other abilities.

'_C.C. mentioned that champions could fight within a Phantasm World. Interesting…I wonder if I have any new abilities there, as my gunblades would seem to indicate. Hopefully, my opponent will be disoriented by the sudden shift in location, giving me the upper hand.'_

As he kept thinking, lunchtime rolled around, and at last came an opportunity to catch his target unawares. In a rare stroke of fortune, a bee buzzed into Kallen's lunch circle, scattering the girls therein to the four corners of the school, as they were apparently terrified of the insect. Kallen however, did not flee, the red-head's attention completely fixed on dealing with the bee as she swatted the bee out of the air and started to curse having to act like an invalid when—

_Crump!_

She turned, cursing under her breath at a muffled footstep from behind her, blue meeting purple as she caught sight of Avenger standing in a location just out of her line of sight, observing her with interest. Someone had seen her break her masquerade of frailness.

'_There's no question, it's her,' _he confirmed, noting that not only her aura, but her looks and her attitude matched the girl from Shinjuku.

Instantly, the girl put on a façade of weakness, but it was already too late.

"Can I help you or something?" she asked pleasantly enough, though her eyes seemed like those of a trapped animal, backed into a corner and desperate for a way to escape. _'This is bad…what if he spreads it around that I'm not really an invalid?'_

"Miss Stadtfeld," Avenger greeted the red-headed girl politely. This role he knew how to play quite well. "My name is Lelouch Lamperouge, the Vice President of Ashford Academy's Student Council, and I'm here to invite you to join us."

"W-what?" Kallen stammered in shock, wondering just what on earth this 'Lelouch' was playing at as he smiled at her. She knew full well that he was the object of affection for more than half the girls at Ashford, but if he was turning his attentions onto her…

'_I already have to reject enough slobbering idiots as it is,'_ she grimaced inwardly, taking care not to let the distaste show on her face. It wouldn't be in character for her to react violently to anyone, after all.

"Well, it was the principal's idea, really," the raven-haired boy clarified, smiling in that disturbingly serene manner of his. "He'd heard that your condition makes it difficult for you to participate in any extra-curricular activities, so he suggested that we invite you to join us."

'_I really don't have time for this…' _Kallen thought to herself, wondering just how in the world she would manage to get out of this one. Her persona as a Britannian student was supposedly weak-willed and just wanted to participate as best she could, so she had no valid reason to decline. And yet... _'This will be tricky.'_

"U-um…that's nice of you and all…" the redhead began, doing her best to look demure. "But I really don't think that—"

"Nonsense," Lelouch cut in, once again unnerving her with his eerie smile as he dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "In spite of your absences, you manage to have the best grades in class, so we know you work quite hard. Wouldn't you like a chance to make some more friends at school?"

Then, calculating what would best entice her to join them, he set the trap.

"Besides, the Student Council has a finger on the pulse of Ashford Academy," the Vice President added warmly, letting a twinkle of amusement reach his eyes for a finishing touch. "Events, festivals, the school itself…except for the staff, we pretty much run the place."

This last bit he spun almost ruefully, as if he was embarrassed to admit that they had so much power.

"Really?" Kallen wondered, her mind picking up on the implications of membership in the Student Council. _'An organization where sickness wouldn't be questioned, with access to most of the school—or off the school, when needed… I can really use this to my advantage…' _"I'll give it a shot, I guess."

"Wonderful," Lelouch answered, grateful for her acceptance. This would make getting a chance to talk to her much easier, so that he could further evaluate if she was a threat. Thus far, she had not seemed to recognize him, but given her proficiency in acting anyway…

"Hey, Lulu! Kallen!" a voice called out from the school building. "You know, it's time to head over to the chem lab! You better get a move on!"

At that, Lelouch's face contorted into its famous 'Oh Crap' expression—one intimately familiar to anyone who had seen him when strategies went awry, or Murphy's Law decided to play its hand.

"Oh crap, it's my turn to set up for class!" he said, half-panicked, playing his role to perfection. "Come to the clubhouse tomorrow after school, and we'll have your welcome party then."

With that, the boy dashed off with what little speed he could manage, leaving Kallen curious about why it was this person who had chosen to contact her, and not one of the other Student Council members. It faintly aroused her suspicions, especially since he gave off a dark aura…one that…

'_Could he be the voice?'_

_

* * *

_

**Lamperouge Residence, Ashford Academy**

While waiting for the return of Lelouch vi Britannia from the travails of his daily routine, three figures sat around a small wooden table, folding paper cranes and speaking of many topics in the world. The three were about as different as could be in age, occupation, and land of origin, but on this night, a ninja maid, an exiled princess, and an immortal witch treated each other like old friends.

"What shall we do?" asked Sayoko Shinozaki, the maid assigned to the Lamperouges by the Ashford family. "He may be late again this evening."

'_As he had on the night before, after the Shinjuku Incident, bringing the enigmatic C.C. with him,'_ she tactfully did not say.

"I'll wait," Nunnally replied gently, trusting in her big brother's words. After all, he'd never lie to her—right? "He said that we'd have dinner together tonight."

"There now, this one's finished," Sayoko spoke then, putting the completed folding into Nunnally's outstretched hands.

"Ah, a bird?" the little princess asked, her fingers roaming over the figure to deduce its identity.

"Yes, it's a crane," Sayoko confirmed, voice warm with praise.

"It is said in Japanese folklore that if you fold a thousand cranes, your deepest wish will come true," C.C. added, holding out another crane, much to Sayoko and Nunally's surprise, with the maid looking at the green-haired witch appraisingly.

"You certainly know a lot, Miss C.C.," Nunnally burst out, surprised.

"I've wished for many things in my time," C.C. replied, lips curling up ever so slightly into one of her unreadable half-smiles. "So is there's anything you wish for?"

"I wish the world was a gentler place," the young princess said straightforwardly, causing C.C. to blink once. A gentle world was not something she had known in her many years of life, but…

"Maybe when you see again, your wish will come true," Sayoko replied to her,

"Really?" Nunnally asked again, as even she found the notion hard to believe.

Just then, the door opened, and the errant prince stepped through it.

"I promise it will," Avenger spoke, stopping in his tracks as his eyes fell upon C.C. at the table. He suppressed the urge to wince, instinctively knowing that no good would come of this, but he had to let things play out naturally, right? "I'm sorry I'm so late."

"Welcome home, Lelouch," the witch greeted him, looking up from an origami hydrangea she was in the process of making.

"Hi, Lelouch! Welcome home," came the cheerful voice of his sister, who had sorely missed him during his absence. "I wanted to tell you that Miss C.C. has been waiting as well."

"Welcome home, my lord," Sayoko said, acknowledging the boy with a nod. Unlike most masters, he did not require her to stand and show much subservience, something that the maid appreciated, especially after the fall of Japan.

"No place like it, Sayoko," Lelouch answered her, warmth in his voice. And it was true, he did enjoy being here, rather than being outside in the den of vipers known as fangirl territory (the courtyard). "Right, Nunnally?"

"Right," Nunnally affirmed, smiling in her brother's direction. "Miss Sayoko and C.C. were just teaching me about the art of origami. If you fold a piece of paper the right way, you can make birds, boats...almost anything!"

The young princess in exile was clearly delighted by this, and Lelouch was glad of it, as his sister had experienced so much tragedy in her life, with little happiness to balance it out.

'_Wait…C.C. knows origami?'_

"C.C.?" he repeated, eyes boring into the side of the green-haired witch's head, silently demanding answers he knew she probably wouldn't give.

"Yes, your friend goes by such an unusual name, only her initials," Nunnally said, putting the crane on the table and touching one of C.C.'s hands. "She's very wise for her age..."

'_Again, you have no idea…'_

"Yeah, that she does," Lelouch answered, giving the witch a meaningful glance, one that could be translated a mix of _'what-exactly-are-you-teaching-my-sister'_, _'don't tell me you plan on going out in public where you could get caught_', and '_I suppose I should be grateful you didn't take my credit card and splurge on pizza.'_

The look he received in return was not exactly reassuring, given that it meant _'Don't count on it, boy.'_

Of course, his subtle stratagems and deceptions came to a crashing halt as a simple question penetrated his defenses.

"I was just wondering, is C.C. your girlfriend?"

Time froze, as Lelouch's mind had a very temporary blue screen of death. While rebooting itself from to recover from the error, all he could manage was: "Huh?"

In his isolated moment of weakness, the witch answered for him.

"He made a promise about our future together," the woman said smoothly, getting up and taking his hand. "Isn't that right, Lelouch?"

Another critical error. Apparently, for all of Lelouch's brilliance at mental gymnastics, multi-threading and all, it could be crashed by anything having to do with his relationships, or lack thereof, usually through the means of physical contact.

"Huh?"

In that moment, the brilliant strategist prince who had won a victory in Shinjuku would have been hard pressed to win a game of checkers against Rivalz, so much had he been stunned.

"A future together?" Nunally perked up, form almost radiant with curiosity. "You mean marriage?"

Then came the denials, of course, as his mind belatedly caught up to the conversation and tried to run damage control-too little, too late.

"No! No, that isn't what she was talking about," Lelouch said, quite flustered. Thanks to certain other events today, his mind had actually been travelling along a parallel course of thought, but—_'How do I explain this?' _"It's like a...she's kidding around."

"No, I'm not," C.C. broke in, undermining Lelouch's attempts to clarify the situation. Clearly, she was amused by this exchange and had no intention of letting Lelouch off the hook so easily. "In fact, in private, he calls me Mistress, and I call him my servant."

'_Oh my_,' Sayoko flushed on hearing those words, thinking of a slightly different meaning to those words. _'Master Lelouch has…those kinds of interests…I see. I suppose he _is_ at that age, but…'_

"Well you're certainly doing this sooner than most," allowed Nunnally, justifying this development to herself. "But everyone's different, aren't they? So I suppose it isn't THAT strange. And if you feel like you're ready for..."

Then the comment about mistress and servant sunk in.

"Oh," was all Nunnally could manage after that, leaving Lelouch frantic for an excuse. His eyes found a teacup, and grabbing onto it, he picked it up, "accidentally" spilling it all over his green-haired companion's top.

"Oh, C.C. Look what you've done, you're soaking wet," he announced as if he were performing a piece of street theatre, with Sayoko only looking on wider at that, seeing Lelouch's actions as an excuse for him to be alone with his lover. "Come on, let's get you to the bathroom and into a dry change of clothes. Nunnally, stay here and I'll be back in a minute. And she was kidding before. Kidding. Just a dumb joke. At least about the mistress and servant bit. That's all."

As he forcibly escorted C.C. to his room to get a change of clothes, Nunnally asked a last question that caused him to flinch. Noticeably. Almost enough to trip over his feet and do an anime-style facefault.

"So then, you're really getting married?"she asked hopefully, no doubt imagining a dream wedding in a palace, with flowers, and gardens, and…

_Thud!_

Thankfully, Lelouch was able to push himself and C.C. into his room and close the door behind them, saving him from any further innocent but deadly questions.

"What were you doing, witch?" he asked, trying to remain calm, as he had seen what happened when she got angry.

"Enjoying myself," the Code-bearer said simply, then went on to add, "just as you seem to enjoy seeing me wet."

A beat, and nothing happened, Lelouch knowing better than to fall for that again.

"By the way, your school is quite a nice place," the Grey Witch mused aloud, this time getting a reaction from the boy.

"You went around my _school? _What if someone had seen you?_"_ he hissed. Of course, she was likely safe enough, but what this would do to his reputation if Milly and others found out that a girl was living in his room didn't bear thinking about.

"You worry too much, Avenger," C.C. spoke, going to Lelouch's closet and picking out a blue and white formal gown that the prince sometimes had nightmares about, as it evoked memories of the crossdressing ball a year ago. "Hmm, I suppose this will do. And your sister thinks I have strange interests…_Princess_ Lulu vi Britannia."

'_C.C. is enjoying_ _this situation far too much for my liking…'_ Avenger thought to himself, but what could he do, really?

"…that was for Student Council business," he said stiffly, projecting every ounce of aristocratic bravado that he could into his words.

"The Student Council," the witch murmured thoughtfully, cloth rustling as she began to change into the dress, prompting Lelouch to look away. "...in other words, your friend Milly put you up to this…"

Another violent flush, as the prince recalled the events of the morning.

"How do you know about Milly, witch?" he asked, trying to regain control of the situation. Alas, he was several thousand years too early to challenge her and win.

"Oh, your sister mentioned her as someone who you enjoyed spending time with," C.C. related with a smirk, her expression promising Lelouch no end of torment. "Why, are you attracted to her?"

A simple question, this, but one Lelouch did not want to answer. So he didn't, letting the witch draw what conclusions she would.

"By the way, there is another Champion nearby," Lelouch said instead, using the time-honored conversational gambit of changing the topic.

"The Glasgow pilot from Shinjuku, you mean?" C.C. inquired solicitously, tilting her head curiously. "So when will you be dealing with Rider?"

"You mean…_you already knew she was here_?" the champion voiced in calm, measured tones, tones that he was forcing himself to take. Still, a slight edge broke through, since if the immortal already had this information, why hadn't she shared it with him?

"I could tell she was nearby," the Code-bearer shrugged, though her attention wavered from him as she fastened the last ties on the dress, and walked over to take a look at her reflection in the mirror. "Hmm, it's a little tight around the chest, but it will do. Anyway, you're the servant. It's your job to deal with other champions, not mine."

"…fine," he bit off, frowning. "But tell me, how do I battle in a Phantasm World?"

The grey witch walked over to Avenger, turning him around to look at her. Strangely enough, she seemed…pleased.

"Hmm, so you're finally taking your role seriously, Avenger. Good," she said approvingly, her golden eyes more satisfied. "In any case, each champion has a Phantasm World of their own, a place in the World of C set aside for them. For you, all you need to do is come into contact with another champion and say or think _**'Implacable Alastor.'**__"_

"Does it matter if I or another invokes the world?" Lelouch questioned, wanting to be sure of the consequences. "And what happens to my body while I am there?"

"If you invoke, you fight in your Phantasm World. If not, you will fight in another's, which may not be as advantageous to you," the Grey Witch explained, finally being forthcoming with her information. "As for your body, it will remain in this world, motionless, along with that of your opponent."

"So then, if I were to have an accomplice, I could invoke a Phantasm World, and then my accomplice could kill my opponent's defenseless body?" he asked, looking for all possible angles and avenues to use in attaining victory.

"Yes, and vice versa, this is why the ability is normally used when you and your foe are alone."

"I see…thank you."

"And why are you thanking me?" the immortal asked curiously. It was rare in her many years of life that anyone would say something kind to her, much less thank her.

"This is the only weapon I have in the Eden Vital War," Lelouch said grimly, his features hardening with resolve as he looked towards the distant future. "I need to know how to use it, if I am to win."

"To win...then I assume you have a wish?"

"Of course: To destroy Britannia."

* * *

**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

The next day, Kallen found herself on the roof of the school, making a phone call to Kaname Ohgi, the leader of her resistance cell, with the man asking her how her campus life was going and warning her to stay put, since the army was on high alert.

"I don't know," the young freedom fighter said hesitantly. "What about the voice on the radio? Someone had to have arranged that ceasfire…"

Her own suspicions that the voice was close by, she left unsaid, since she needed evidence that this was the case. Feelings alone weren't enough to prove anything.

"You can't go looking for a voice, Kallen," Ohgi chided, trying to play the role of the protective big brother in the wake of Naoto's passing. "Besides, Naoto would be happy to see you back in school. Forget about Shinjuku for now…I'll be in touch."

With that, he hung up, leaving Kallen to the torment of a stifling afternoon of history classes, where the redhead found herself paying particular attention to the Vice-President of the Student Council, the boy who had talked to her the other day.

'_There's something odd about him that I can't place…something I recognize? I'm not sure, since I don't remember too clearly, but if he is the voice…'_

_R-r-ring!_

Class was finally over, and she finally had the chance to approach—

"Hey Lulu, you coming along?"

But someone else acted first, the perky orangette Shirley that sat one seat over from the Vice-President. If Kallen recalled correctly, she was in the Student Council too.

"Yeah, just a minute," he said with a gentle smile, inviting her to join him with a bow and a welcoming hand. "It would be terrible to attend a party without the guest of honor, now wouldn't it?"

"O-of course," Kallen replied, flushing ever so slightly. Apparently, the Vice-President's reputation for being a ladykiller wasn't all talk, and he could be surprisingly smooth when need be. "I was wondering if you'd forgotten."

The next few minutes were a pleasant blur, as Shirley and Lelouch walked her to the club house for the Student Council, a lavish building that served as a reminder of the Student Council's power and prominence on campus.

"I didn't even know this place existed," she said out loud, voicing her thoughts.

"It's the club house for the student council," the Vice-President informed her, as if he told people this every day (which he probably did). "They built it as a ballroom for various special occasions."

'_And you all requisitioned it…interesting.'_

Quite the reflection of how much power the Student Council had.

They opened the main door only to come face to face with Milly Ashford, President of the Student Council, honey-blond granddaughter Principal Ruben Ashford, and to be perfectly honest, the one who really held all the power at Ashford Academy.

"Hi, I'm Milly, the President of the Council," the fearless leader of the council fairly sang in greeting. Kallen could tell that she was quite used to being listened to, as there was a certain charisma to the blonde that made her smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. And hello to you, Lulu."

There was a wink attached to the last greeting, Kallen was sure, but what it meant…

"Oh, thank you, the pleasure's all mine," she replied, as was only polite to do.

Lelouch only chuckled nervously and showed the President one of his smiles, though this one seemed somehow more bittersweet than most.

Looking around, she could see that there were quite a few tables set out in the ballroom, with trays upon trays of delicious looking edibles upon them.

'_All this for a simple welcome? Maybe this is the right decision after all…'_

A second later, two other members of the council came bounding down the stairs, a boy with ruffled blue hair and a girl roughly her height with glasses and two braids of dark green.

"I'm Rivalz, the secretary," the boy spoke. She recognized him from class as someone who liked to gossip, but wrote him off as mostly harmless. "If there's anything you need to help with, I'm your man."

"Hi there, my name's Nina," added the green-haired glasses girl, in a rather frail and soft-spoken manner. If Kallen didn't know better, she would have thought the Council already had an ill girl.

"And I'm Shirley," her orangette guide said, turning to her, chipper as always. "I'm a member of the swim club. Welcome."

"It's nice to meet all of you," Kallen replied.

_Whirr!_

The sound of an electric motor drew Kallen's attention, and the half-Britannian looked over to see a young girl in a motorized wheelchair speeding across the room, a tray of cupcakes and two pizzas on her lap. The girl was small, with wavy locks of long brown hair framing her face…and it seemed her eyes were closed.

'_Blind, perhaps?'_

"Shirley, I'm sorry but, do you think you could set these on the table for me?" the little girl asked, in an adorable fashion that made even the hardened terrorist side of Kallen want to give her a hug.

"Oh, sure, thanks, Nunna," Shirley said with a friendly smile, taking the tray of food as if she were quite used to it.

Another council member then, since the people here seemed so familiar with—

"Nunnally, what're you doing here?" Lelouch asked at that moment, as if surprised.

'_So…that means…'_

"This is Lelouch's sister," Milly said, acting as a go-between to explain the situation.

"I'm still in the middle school group, so I can't be on the council yet," the little girl added, still smiling, and Kallen could tell that the girl was among trusted friends.

_Whirr! a_gain, as the motorized wheelchair turned to face the guest of honor.

"Hello there, it's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen," Nunnally said, acknowledging her with a gentle nod.

"Thank you," Kallen answered demurely, finding that her gentleness this time was not an act. "You as well."

Greetings exchanged, the group proceeded to begin the festivities, which unfortunately began with the suggestion of a toast, leading to a scuffle over a bottle of "champagne." Kallen would have been amused, except that the bottle was tossed around and around, until at last, when it landed in Lelouch's hand—and the cork popped off.

Body acting by reflex, the half-Britannian redhead managed to deflect the projectile, but not the stream of liquid that came after, soaking her down to her underwear.

After a bit more commotion, apologies and all, Kallen found herself in the bathroom, showering off the sticky residue of the champagne, irritated at Britannians as usual for their overbearing presumption.

"This is why I hate Britanians," she muttered under her breath, preoccupied with washing herself and wondering just when this day would be—

_Knock! Knock!_

Irritated by the interruption, Kallen nevertheless pulled back the curtain to hear who was at the door.

"It's Lelouch," came the all too familiar voice, the thickness of the door lowering the Vice-President's voice just enough so that—_'It _is_ him!' "_I've brought you a change of clothes."

'_Maybe this day wasn't wasted after all…'_

"You can come in," the part-time terrorist called out, dropping the curtain back into place. "I've drawn the curtain already."

The conversation proceeded among fairly

"Sorry about all this," the Vice-President was saying, slightly abashed. "I know they can be a little over the top sometimes."

"That's okay," the Student Council's newest member found herself compelled to respond. "Nothing wrong with cutting loose every once in a while, you know?"

Her true feelings were to the contrary, but when among Britannians…

"These are some of my clothes," Lelouch continued, back to his serene calm. "I hope that's okay."

"It's cool, don't worry about it," Kallen answered, out of form as much as anything else. Then, something popped up in her mind. _'Lelouch didn't strike me as being a particularly fast runner…I may as well ask a leading question to find out.'_ "That was fast. You went all the way to the boy's dorm?"

"Actually, I live here," the raven-haired boy answered, eliciting a bit of surprise. "It'd be pretty hard for my sister to live off in the dorms. The principal of the school lets us stay here as a favor."

"I see."

'_Well, that confirms it…this place is where the presence is most concentrated, and since traces of it are coming from Lelouch…'_

"Anyway..." the Vice-President trailed off, looking to the door and taking one-two—

'_He's going to leave…I can't allow that.'_

"Hey, wait!" Kallen called out, reaching a hand out from behind the curtains. True to nature, the Vice-President stopped in his tracks. "Can you hand me that pouch over there?

'_This is a trap, most assuredly, but there are times when one must be sprung—'_

"Sure," Lelouch said smoothly, as if he didn't expect anything at all. He picked up the pouch from the sink and handed it to Kallen, and—

_Crash_!

With a firm strike, she knocked the pouch from his hand and grabbed tightly to his wrist, threatening to cut off the circulation.

'_Exactly as I anticipated'_

" ...You really are a live-wire, aren't you?" he said admiringly. This close, he could feel for a fact that she was the servant he had been searching for.

"Were you the one in Shinjuku?" she demanded, and with that Lelouch _grinned_.

'_The initial conditions have been cleared.'_

'_**Implacable Alastor.'**_

A mysterious bird like sigil blazed crimson in the air, and then everything went white.

* * *

**Phantasm World of Avenger – "Implacable Alastor"**

When Kallen next opened her eyes, she found herself in an alien world. She was naked no longer, but clad in what seemed to be a skintight red and black tubedress, with an addition of detachable sleeves that serve more like leather gauntlets, and a red headband stretched across her brow like the one she normally wore in combat. Not that she would need it to keep her hair out of her eyes, even if her red hair was much longer here, spiky still, but flowing in waves to her waist, seeming to shift here and there as with a life of its own—hungry for heat. And in her hands were a set of nail-like daggers, fastened to opposite ends of a single chain-rustic weapons, but ones she instinctively knew how to use.

'_What…what is this? This…'_

She stood in the midst of a broken battlefield, a desolate, reddish brown wasteland strewn with thousands of corpses, each impaled by a rusted sword. Twilight from beyond the horizon provides this place with a strange illumination, part opaqued by smoke and embers coming from the ground itself.

Blood ran, pooled and congealed, going _squish-squish-squish_ with every step, soaking into the thirsty, barren ground underneath a smoke filled sky through which cloudless lightning bolts arced from plume to plume to ground, the _sizzle-flash! Sizzle-flash! Sizzle-flash! _of electric violence sending shivers through the spine.

_Sizzle-Flash! Rumble…_

The smell of blood was thick in the air, and the air itself was full of heat, burning the skin. The land quaked ominously, as if a giant's teeth were being gnashed together, grinding against one another in frustration as the world burned in this private hell.

In the distance, a figure approached her, its indistinct form obscured by smoke but growing clearer with each step.

It was a man seemingly clad all in blood, a shroud of black shadows shifting and moving with him, overwrought by lines of pulsing red. The exposed skin of his arms and face were tattooed with strange designs of liquid darkness and the brown of ancient ichor, seeming to draw in all light, and in each of his hands were gunblades, wicked cutting edges dripping with fresh blood.

Even more than this land, he reeked of blood and darkness, of soul-crushing despair that could swallow up the world…

And then he looked at her with those vivid purple eyes, and with a shock, she recognized him.

His expression was grim, almost sinister, and his stride confident, but—

"Le..louch?" she hissed incredulously, her reaction prompting an all too familiar laugh, that of the voice from Shinjuku.

A curling of lips and a showing of teeth. A technical smile, but a terrifying one, forcing Kallen an involuntary step backwards.

"Call me Avenger…Q-1."

* * *

A/N: Since I've confirmed the identity of yet another servant, I'd probably be remiss in not posting her stats. That information is below.

* * *

**Information on Servant Rider**

Personal Information:

True Name: Kallen Kozuki  
Class: Rider  
Independent Champion of Eden Vital  
Alignment: Chaotic Good

Strength: B

Endurance: B

Agility: B

Luck: C

Mana (Phantasm World): A

Noble Phantasm: A+

Details:

_"If only you had justice on your side!" – Kallen Kozuki_

Kallen Kozuki, also known as Baroness Kallen Stadtfeld, is a girl of mixed Britannian-Eleven heritage, who identifies strongly as Japanese and prefers to be known by her birth name. After the conquest of Japan by Britannia (whereupon her parents divorced), she was summoned to her Britannian father's residence as his only heir, her mother following along and finding employment as a maid. However, she maintained a deep connection with her brother, Naoto Kozuki, who served as the leader of a Japanese resistance group before his death.

At the outbreak of the Eden Vital War, Kallen was chosen as one of the 5 independent champions of Eden Vital itself, meaning that she does not start under service to a Code-Bearer—and that her abilities as a servant were to be sealed until coming into contact with another. This occurred during the Shinjuku Incident, where a mysterious voice (later proving to be Avenger) made contact with her, offering her resistance a chance at victory, a chance dashed by the intervention of the White Knightmare piloted by Berserker. In the aftermath of that incident, her powers are awakening…

In Knightmare combat, Kallen is second to none, with a superior instinct and unyielding nature that allows her to oppose even superior opponents for a time (i.e. Glasgow halting Lancelot, even if only for a few moments). This lends itself well to combat within a Phantasm World, as the greatest of her Noble Phantasms, "Mark Nemo", is an existence similar to a Knightmare.

However, even on foot, she is quite a capable opponent, strong-willed and forceful, blessed with the skill of battle continuation, as well as a measure of fighting instinct and defense against ranged weapons. Her primary weapon in a Phantasm World is a pair of long iron nails fastened to opposite ends a single chain, which she effectively thrusts from distances.

Skills:

**Riding**: A+

Ability to ride / pilot things or creatures. Rider can use most vehicles, up to and including those which require nearly superhuman skills.

**Battle Continuation**: A  
Does not give up easily / the ability to stay alive. It allows for battle even on the verge of death, and allows the user to stay alive until they recieve a clearly fatal blow.

**Eye of the Mind (Fake)**: B  
A sixth sense for avoiding danger.

**Instinct**: B  
The power to "feel" the best course of action for oneself during battle.

**Military Tactics**: D  
Tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized. Rider's experience in battle allows her to have a clear understanding of how to manage a squad

**Protection from Arrows**: B  
Increased defense against ranged attacks by predicting the projectile trajectory through exceptional means such as hearing the sound of air being cut or sensing the killing intent of the enemy. As long as the shooter is within her line of sight, she can track down ranged weapons with her eyes and defend against them. Does not apply for attacks made from super-long-range or with a great area-of-effect.

**For Someone Else's Honor:** D  
Conceals her location and identity to a very limited extent, an ability limited in use to those who have not encountered her original form. Those who have, will recognize her almost immediately.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Geass of Absolute Refraction**: This geass allows one to change the trajectory of moving objects within Rider's line of sight, operating at the speed of thought. Once an object's trajectory is changed, it will remain on that new trajectory unless outside influence is exerted on it (or it self-corrects by virtue of having self-propulsion/guidance systems, as in the case of an enemy Knightmare)

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Black Widow**: D  
Rider's weapon of choice is a pair of long iron nails fastened to opposite ends of a single chain, which she effectively thrusts from distances.

**Origami** (anti-unit): B  
The Caging Hair is one of Rider's offensive abilities; it is a cursed field of plundering that is effective in the range of her field of vision, allowing her to "plunder" the heat (lifeforce) from a living creature she can see, but the maximum output relies on time (how long she keeps plundering heat). Rider can start up the plundering once she has confirmed her target, and other champions will see it as red strands wrapping around the target, charring it. It does not actually burn the target, as it doesn't affect the target's clothes and stops burning as soon as Rider stops plundering lifeforce from the target. At its maximum, the red strands cover the target as well as the entire area the target is in, making it impossible to escape - hence the name, caging hair.

**Mark Nemo **(anti-army): A+  
The Knightmare Frame known as Mark Nemo or "Unknown Warrior" is Rider's greatest Noble Phantasm. It is not a weapon made by man, but an ultimate fantasy, created from the nightmares of the collective unconscious as a crystallization of the fear of an inhuman enemy. Unlike man-made Knightmare Frames, it does not possess Landspinners; as a result, it can move more acrobatically, allowing it to jump and run in high places. Its main weapons are six remote wired rocket anchors known as Blonde Knives, similar in function to Slash Harkens, except that they possesses sharp blades on the end that can penetrate any Knightmare Frame and can also drill rapidly on the ground. The Blonde Knives can also move remotely either in mid-air or underground, allowing them to target and destroy multiple Knightmare Frames. In addition, Mark Nemo is also armed with a katana capable of cutting through nearly any obstacle.


	5. Hypnagogic Visions

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Phantasm World of Avenger – "Implacable Alastor"**

"Call me Avenger_…Q-1._"

The words of a demon king, standing in a field of inescapable death, bloodstained lips peeled back from his teeth in a feral smile.

'_Wha-what is this?ǃ' _

One moment, Kallen Kozuki had been in the bathroom of the Ashford Academy Student Council Clubhouse, intent on questioning her classmate Lelouch and the next—she had found herself here, in this world of blood and devastation, where the air reeked of blood, and feelings of despair radiated from the very ground below.

An oppressive land, where vengeful sprits could not be laid to rest, their voices screaming into the minds of those who dared trespass a record of their sins, of crimes that could not be washed away no matter how much blood was spilled.

'_Sophistry, falsehood, trickery, vanity,' _it seemed to shriek, unwilling thoughts flowing into her mind, voices echoing, reverberating, jarring out of sync, playing merry havoc with rational thought. '_Becoming what you hate. Lies, naïveté, the futile bloodstained path…'_

Gritting her teeth, Kallen forced herself to ignore the sibilant hissing in her head, focusing instead on the being that she knew had somehow brought her here, the one she had thought of until now as simply Lelouch Lamperouge, a Britannian to be hated, the same as any other, but no worse than any other.

Now though, as the shadowy form of Avenger approached her with a predatory smirk, the part-time terrorist was willing to admit that perhaps she had judged too soon.

"You asked if I was the one in Shinjuku, Q-1?" the demon king spoke once again, his cold voice dripping with malicious amusement as the bloody wraith of vengeance fingered his gunblades. "Then why were you piloting the Glasgow?"

'_He knows,' _Kallen realized with a shudder, thoughts in a jumbled frenzy as she raised her nail-like daggers in preparation to strike. At least she had been given clothing when she had been dragged into this world, and as strange and revealing as the skintight red and black tubedress with detachable sleeves was, it left her ample freedom of movement. _'And he knew that I would catch on…so this entire time, he was luring me into a trap?'_

She had to find a way out of this place, and fast, before the world itself wore her down with its oppressive stench. And the only way out…

'_Him…' _she thought with narrowed eyes, setting her jaw with grim resolve. '_Worse than the land, the scent of blood and others' terror rolls off him like a fog, a soul-crushing despair that gnaws upon the mind and soul. To get out, I'll have to kill him.'_

What were her odds? Guns had more range, it was true, but knives were much faster up close, so if she could just dodge, and close the distance, then maybe—

"Why terrorism?" Avenger asked of her, his purple eyes boring into hers with intensity that she had never thought possible, as if commanding her to reveal her secrets, to give in to what he wanted, to simply speak and… "After all, aren't you a Britannian?"

'_Don't mock me! Don't you dare mock me!'_

Saying that was possibly Avenger's greatest mistake. In an instant, all Kallen's hesitations disappeared, mind accelerating, soul ablaze, tossing the oppressive malaise from her thoughts with sheer rage and force of will.

"I…" Kallen began softly in a voice that the demon would find too low to hear, lowering her head as if submitting to his will. With the distance at 40 meters, all she needed to do was to buy a few seconds to close that gap—but first, she had to get up to speed.

_Squish!_

A step closer.

"I…" she repeated, listening intently for any sign of movement, taking care to head right for her foe. So far, it seemed that Lelouch didn't suspect anything. This world was one of his making, so no doubt he felt secure—as secure as the Britannian Army had in Shinjuku.

_Squish- Squish!_

Another step, faster.

"I…" she started once more, every muscle in her body tensing as she readied herself for battle. With any luck, this would be over in one swift strike.

'_Haa…ahhh.'_

A deep breath, and then—

"I'm Japanese!" the redhead roared defiantly, breaking into a headlong rush, attention fully focused on her foe. All around her was a shimmering mirage, a haze of heat, her champion form's floor length hair rising into the air, coiling like a multitude of snakes, every one of them with a mind of its own.

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

Tracers of light blazed forth in darkness as the demon king fired, silver bullets tearing through the air as if spitting on Rider's attempt to strike. But the female champion zagged and zigged, dodging most, while her snake-like hair surged forward with a wave of heat, batting whatever projectiles she couldn't dodge to the ground, where half-melted casings _hissed_ as they cooled on touching blood.

The air was burning, with crimson strands lancing towards the demon king, an aura of heat that expanded without limits, incinerating whatever it touched.

'_Too close now,' _ Avenger mentally calculated, scrabbling back as quickly as his speed would allow. _'That hair…such overwhelming power…'_

Without having to be told, his legs moved back, the Servant keeping up his high rate of fire to try and maintain distance. The only offensive weapons in his arsenal were these gunblades – his other Phantasms could only be used as counters, and his skills in hand to hand…well, the less said the better…

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

But this wave of silver, too, was slammed aside, and Avenger was forced to rein the shroud of shadows that streamed behind him, overwrought by crimson light, in an attempt to hide his exact outline.

'_20 meters'_

He retreated, vaulting backwards over a mound of bodies, flechette rounds screaming for Rider's last known location—this time at her legs, to kill her speed.

But she dodged as if by instinct, her feet carrying her perfectly through the path of shrapnel and debris, barely even slowing as the enemy Servant discharged round after round of ammunition.

Kallen's smile was frenzied now, filled with bloodlust and hatred towards Britannians, and Lelouch could escape the stifling power of her killing intent, a pure fury that tore through the malaise his existence projected

_Fsh! Fsh! Fsh!_

Surges of red emanated from Rider's hair, the prehensile strands streaking for Avenger, closing in on the space around him, hungry for life force.

"Tch!" Lelouch grunted, and with that, the demon was surrounded.

Caught in this cage of bloody strands, Avenger found that he couldn't breathe, the air around him heating up like a furnace, burning the inside of his lungs. The overwhelming pain and murderous aura made him want to vomit as Kallen's body shook in pleasure at the pain she inflicted.

_Swish!_

Almost reflexively, the wraith of vengeance swung his gunblades, their wicked cutting edges opening enough of a gap for him to leap back, panting.

_Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!_

The enchanted blades glided through the red strands with speed and accuracy, as if Avenger were merely reaping the air for harvest, delaying its inexorable advance. But he could not hold it back for long, as Rider draws closer, closer, ever closer.

'_10 meters'_

Shooting out almost too fast to see, the fiery web tries to engulf him in full, but—

_Fsh! Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

Something striking the blood-soaked ground echoed like a slap.

The instant before he was enveloped by that fiery aura, his body instinctively sensed the danger and jumped back, with Avenger unleashing another hail of flechettes before leaping back and to the side.

_'I see...so her ability requires line of sight,' _the demon mused, while feverishly wringing every ounce of speed and endurance he could from his protesting legs.

"Haa, aah...ahh..."

His breathing went wild, ragged with exertion, heart pounding in his chest as he strove his utmost to avoid destruction with velocity born of adrenaline and desperation.

_Whump!_

A giant leap backwards, as he ran without taking his eyes off of the raging servant chasing him. Faster, faster, as fast as he can—but Rider was faster still, only needing to look, while Avenger could only try to hold her off with bullets.

The difference in their abilities was clear.

'_5 meters.'_

The burning red aura flowed from Kallen, and her rage transformed the air into pure crimson. Her hair roiled and churned like a living creature, the heat in the air increasing without limit as she looked at him, wishing to reduce him to ash.

"It ends here, Lelouch!" the part-time terrorist barked harshly. "I'm amazed you've managed to run this far…so first I'll have to destroy those pitiful legs of yours."

_Sizzle!_

Her bright blue eyes fixed on his arms and legs, and a torrent of red raced forward in greater volume than he could stop, the fiery aura wrapping around his limbs.

The air itself smelled of burning, the pain maddening to bear.

'_But I can't give up,'_ Avenger resolves, drawing upon the despair in his heart for strength. "_I_ _cannot die here…for I have yet to destroy Britannia!'_

_Swish!_

He jumped back, swinging his gunblades, slicing apart the red hair that darted at him along with the air around it, once more creating a small amount of breathing room which he greedily took advantage of. But the pain remained. Even though he had cut his way free of the enveloping strands, his arms and legs were charred, tattooed surfaces already blackened and blistering.

Once again, the prince tried to retreat, but this time, Kallen gave him no chance to widen the distance, sending another one-two-three snakes of hair at him, her right arm surging forward as if to emphasize the power of her strike.

_Swish! Swish! _

The first he blocked, the second he sliced apart, the—

_Squelch! Sizzle!_

'_Clever…she used her veil of hair to block my line of sight, concealing the chained dagger she tossed in its wake,' _the wraith of vengeance thought admiringly, respecting his foe's abilities.

Said dagger had cleanly pierced through—and embedded itself in—his left wrist, holding there and refusing to come out, while the last snake of blazing strands shifted direction at the last moment to seize his right arm, effectively immobilizing him.

"Ahhh! Ugh!" Avenger grunted involuntarily, his mouth twisting into a pained grimace as his hands were forced to his side, a cocoon of caging hair wrapping around him, preventing him from moving, while other serpentine bundles wrenched his gunblades from his grasp.

_Squick-elch!_

A final sickening sound echoed through the battlefield, as Rider's hair pierced Avenger's gut like a spear.

Shocked, no, as if he was accepting it, he didn't even try to dodge, slumping onto the impaling implement with the last of his energy.

"Guh, guh, ack," the prince coughed weakly, a small rivulet of blood trickling out of his mouth as he gasped for breath. Somehow, he gathered the strength to speak, gasping out: "Britannia will not fall to terrorism."

"Big words from a Britannian," Kallen taunted, a glob of spit flying from her pretty mouth to land upon his cheek.

_Squick-elch!_

As if to ensure her victory, another spear of hair was launched, plunging through Avenger's chest where he is held immobile.

The incarnation of vengeance suffered a paroxysm, spasms wracking his body as he fought for control of his throat and lungs.

"Your enemy is not the Britannians, but Britannia itself," Avenger choked out, wincing with each word. "It is a war you must wage, but not on the innocent. Take up your sword and fight for justice, or else, the more you kill and the more injustice you commit, the more you become like Britannia itself."

"Justice? What do you know about justice?" Kallen countered, her voice low and hard as she recalls her how Britannia had taken over her country, killed her brother, stolen the jobs and livelihoods of so many, ruining Japan. "What would you, a Britannian student, know about the reality of war?ǃ"

But Avenger only smiled beatifically, purple eyes fastening their gaze on the redhead's face and figure, as if to sear into his mind the face of the one who had defeated him, while his lips shaped two simple words:

"_**Verg Avesta."**_

An ability that could only be used as a counterattack, this was one of Avenger's trump cards, returning to an opponent all the damage inflicted upon him as long as Avenger himself remained in existence. While it was not automatic, needing conscious activation, this merely meant that Avenger could choose a moment when it would be most advantageous—such as now.

"GUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" from Kallen's lips issued a shriek of utter torment, collapsing in a writhing mass of agony as the same wounds she had inflicted on Lelouch appeared on her body—burns, stab wounds, and all.

Instantly, the poor girl lost her ability to focus, her spears and chains and webs of fiery hair thus dissolving and dropping the formerly trapped Avenger unceremoniously to the blood-soaked ground, where his vital fluids mingled with those of long fallen victims.

Putting power in his mangled, bloody limbs, Lelouch vi Britannia forced himself upright, turning to regard his fallen foe, still on the ground, her screams subsiding to whimpers. One of the chained-daggers was still embedded in his wrist, and with his free hand, he pawed at the ground, pulling the other dagger in the set to him and taking it in hand.

"Did you think you are the only one who suffered?" the exiled prince murmured in Kallen's general direction. "That your suffering entitles you to meaningless killing, to meaningless happiness at futile actions? Your assumptions of this world nature were too naïve…an inferior illusion akin to delusion, Q-1. What is the image you hold in your mind as you fight? A free Japan? With terrorism, you had no chance of victory to begin with."

A rush of red, as Kallen used the last of her strength to lunge at the prince, knocking him to the ground with a simple aim of getting her hands around his throat.

"Ug…ugk…"

The impact drove the air from his lungs, and with strong hands around his throat, squeezing, he found himself nearly unable to speak.

"Kall…" he tried, nevertheless, but the girl only squeezed harder, cutting him off.

_Creak!_

The bones in Avenger's neck creak.

"St—"

With what was left of his strength, Lelouch stabbed the dagger in his hand into one of the arms choking him, frantically looking for a way to escape the situation. Numbness was spreading over his body as if a hammer had smashed his head, a headache born of oxygen-deprivation searing brain and eyes.

"A-ch," Kallen squeaked out, clearly in pain, blood flowing down her injured arm and onto the hands grasping Lelouch's neck-but she did not let go.

With one last move available to him, Avenger invoked the ability _**"Not for One's Own Glory**_", taking on the appearance of the terrorist leader he had seen in Shinjuku, hoping to distract her from killing him with her bare hands.

It worked. Suddenly, seeing herself choking her leader Kaname Ohgi, Kallen's hands lifted off reflexively. It was only for a moment, but that was all that he needed.

"_**Fragarach!"**_

Such was the last and greatest of Avenger's Noble Phantasms, the ultimate counterattack – an unavoidable strike in response to an enemy's strongest ability, killing the enemy and nullifying their attack. But since Kallen had not used her strongest ability, it was not a killing strike, though still unavoidable.

_Crack!_

The blow slammed into Rider, throwing her bodily off of Avenger and to the ground, where she was engulfed in an aura of electrical shocks, muscles loosening, eyes rolling back into her head as inevitable unconsciousness came at last.

"Damned Britannian…" she managed to say, before her form went limp and still, the only sign of life remaining a very slight rise and fall of her chest, as she vanished from the world.

"I may be a Britannian," Lelouch conceded, hands touching his throat gingerly to check if anything was broken. "But I am a Britannian that hates Britannia…"

With that, he looked up into the sky as the Geass sigil flared, and then he too, vanished from the Phantasm World "_**Implacable Alastor,"**_ leaving the field of battle as desolate as before anyone had come.

* * *

**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

Down in the laundry room of the Student Council Clubhouse, Milly Ashford and Shirley Fenette were sitting around quietly, waiting for Kallen to finish showering and pick up her clothes. It was, after all, the Council's fault that her welcome party had ended in unpleasantness, and the two fervently hoped that the redhead would not take things personally.

"Don't you think Kallen is taking a little too long in the bathroom?" Shirley spoke up, breaking the uneasy silence. And then, the orangette gasped, upon realizing that Lelouch had not appeared for the entire time either. "And Lulu's missing too!"

"Maybe she's the type to like long showers, like you do after swim practice," Milly rejoined with a salacious smirk. She did rather enjoy teasing her subordinates a little too much, for her own good, even if few would actually stand up to her. "And I'm sure Lelouch is taking care of Nunna."

But Shirley's mind had already begun to jump to wild conclusions, remembering how the Vice President had glanced at Kallen in class, how Rivalz had mentioned that Lelouch probably had a thing for the girl, and how Lelouch had gone out of his way to talk to Kallen several times. And now that Kallen was gone for an extended amount of time, and Lelouch as well…

"But Madame Prez, what if they're together?" the poor girl wailed, her imagination far too rampant for her own good.

"What about it?" the honey blonde replied, a knowing smile on her face. "Don't tell me you're jealous, Shirley?"

"N-n-nothing of the sort," the orangette denied all to vehemently, in a way that made it exceedingly obvious to everyone involved that, yes, it was something of the sort. "I'm just a little worried."

Milly sighed, rolling her eyes and putting her hands on her hips.

"Fine, since we're not doing anything anyway, we might as well go check," the president said, giving in just this once. Then her glance turned sly as she looked over at Shirley. "Besides, I want to see how Kallen's body compares to our Council's 'Perfect 10.'"

"Madame Prez!" Shirley protested vociferously, making Milly laugh as always. She was really too easy of a target…unlike Lelouch, who had far fewer weaknesses.

The two walked together up the stairs to the second level, where the bathrooms and bedrooms were located, stopping in confusion as they heard the water still running.

"It's been at least an hour since she went in there," Shirley noted, a sudden frown crossing her face. "You don't think she fell ill again, do you?"

"We'd better check," Milly replied, shaking her head. If Kallen had fallen ill and collapsed, no doubt the Stadtfeld family would cause trouble for Ashford Academy, blaming them for allowing the girl to faint. '_I know my grandfather meant well, but…'_

Arriving in front of the bathroom door, Milly rapped on the wooden portal once-twice-thrice with her knuckles.

"Kallen, are you in there?" the blonde called out. "It's Milly, can I come in?"

There was no response, save the sound of water continuing to run.

"Well then, I'm coming in," the Ashford heir said after a moment, opening up the door. "Sorry to intru—"

There was a leg protruding from the edge of the tub, clad in the black trousers of the Ashford Academy's male uniform. And since Rivalz had left for the day, the only one with clearance to be in the clubroom was…

"Leouch?" Milly voiced aloud, walking closer and pulling aside the shower curtain to reveal a naked Kallen Kozuki lying on her back, with Lelouch on top of her, face nestled between her breasts. Both were unconscious.

"_LULU?ǃ" _

A painfully loud screech of outrage was heard a moment later, followed by fast-paced, angry footfalls as a red-faced Shirley stormed out of the room, and the building.

'_Did she miss the fact that they were unconscious?'_

With a sigh, Milly picked up the phone in the bathroom and dialed Sayoko's number.

"Sayoko, its Milly…sorry to bother you again, but there's been a development."

* * *

**Phantasm World – "Eternal Glass Moon"**

Slowly, Avenger opened his eyes, a deep soreness in his body as he stirred from deep unconsciousness and fevered visions, blinking twice as he recognized the change in his surroundings. This time, he found himself lying on a rough-hewn wooden bench, in the middle of a bright darkness.

Said castle stood alone in a vast frozen sea, a snow-covered world illuminated by a ghostly silver light, the smoothness of its surface marred only by islands of grey pock-marking the expanse. It was a place of utter desolation, with not a tree, animal, or sign of human habitation for as far as the eye can see. And over it all floated a low-hanging moon.

'_It's almost like a theatre somewhere,' _Lelouch thought to himself, a brief smile crossing his face. _'This vast expanse is like a stage, only there are no curtains, nor an audience or a stage crew.'_

It was a magnificent vista, timeless in its isolation, a world free from the depredations and violations of man, where even traces of the nightmare of war had faded. A gentle world…but a lonely one.

_Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!_

All at once, he heard the sound of footsteps, as a solitary figure dressed in black approached from the edge of vision, form lit by a gentle crimson light. Without landmarks by which to gauge the visitor's speed, the exiled prince could not be sure of how long it took for the wanderer to reach him, only that it seemed a small eternity until the Grey Witch appeared in front of him—or at least a version of her did, the one who seemed to enjoy dressing in elegant gothic Lolita style.

"You've done well, Avenger, facing a superior servant and prevailing," she spoke, and from her tone it was evident that this was the Keeper of Memories speaking. "Yet you spared her in the end…why?"

"Because we both share the wish of destroying Britannia," Avenger answered, looking her in the eye. "And as you have mentioned, we need an ally to help defeat Berserker in this War. There are nominally 7 Servants…I am the 8th. I can afford to let one other live."

"If that is truly what you wish," the Keeper of Memory gravely replied, reaching out a pale hand to touch the champion's cheek. "You are wiser than you seem, boy. Perhaps C.C. was right in choosing you, after all."

With that, the witch pulled back her hand, turned, and walked away, vanishing into the distance as slowly as she had emerged from it. He tried to keep watch until that lonely figure disappeared into the darkness, but a wave of fatigue took him in turn.

**

* * *

**

**Lamperouge Residence, Ashford Academy**

When he next came to, Lelouch vi Britannia found himself back in the world of reality, specifically lying on the bed in his room—much more comfortable than the stone bench had been. He was groggy still, and his body was throbbing with the memory of pain, yet the prince also knew that he had proven himself as a Servant.

Gradually, as other sensations came through the haze of pain which seemed his everyday companion now, he realized that his head was resting on something soft and warm. Wondering exactly what it might be, the raven-haired prince looked up to see the startlingly blue eyes of Milly Ashford as she leaned over him, the corners of her full lips crinkled with worry, golden-blonde hair falling about her face in a slightly disheveled way that made her seem more down to earth than usual.

'_I see. My head is cradled between her legs,' _he assessed calmly, his mind making a brief note about this and then resuming its inquiries on other lines of thought…for about two seconds, when his attention was sharply brought back to the current situation. _'Wait. What?'_

"You'll ruin Rivalz's idealized image of you if word gets out about this," Lelouch managed to joke, not wincing too much at the memory of pain. To his surprise, C.C. was not in his room, meaning that she had probably gone wandering again. At the moment, he didn't much care, knowing that the witch could take care of herself quite well. "Madame Prez showing concern for a subordinate instead of teasing him? That's a first."

Milly's lips quirked up into a soft smile as she realized that the prince was finally awake. Since being discovered in the bathroom, he had been out cold for several hours—several hours in which she had waited anxiously by his side for him to wake up. Not that she was going to let him know that, or he'd never let her hear the end of it.

"Hello there, sleepyhead," she murmured with a gentle smile. "You know, if you keep falling asleep like this, I'll have to use the 'GUTS' spell to keep you awake."

"…anything but that," Lelouch groaned good-naturedly. "I've had enough pain and suffering for one day."

"Hmph. Well, you certainly must have been tired to fall asleep in the bathroom, on top of Kallen, no less," the honey-blonde teased. "You can imagine Shirley's reaction when she found you, right?"

_Gulp!_

"Very…vocal?" he hazarded, eliciting a quiet laugh from his childhood friend. "With a bit of strenuous exercise?"

"Quite," Milly replied, her expression sobering as she looked deeply into his eyes. "So what really happened, Lelouch? I can guess that Kallen collapsed due to illness, or too much excitement, but what about you?"

"The last I remember, after bringing her a change of clothes, she asked me to bring her a pouch that she had left on the sink," the prince answered honestly, thinking about what must have happened to their bodies while their minds had been in phantasmagoria. "When I reached through the curtains to give her the pouch, she accidentally grabbed onto my arm, and in her shock, slipped and fell, dragging me with her. I guess I must have hit my head…"

He chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Sorry…I've just haven't been sleeping well these past few days," he continued, deciding to give a more detailed explanation. "I've had pretty bad nightmares ever since Rivalz ditched me in Shinjuku…"

"Oh, during the…"

Milly looked down at the prince with a look of concern, reaching down and giving one of his hands a comforting squeeze, entwining her fingers with his.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, after a moment. "Or are you in the habit of keeping secrets from me now?"

The last was said rather pointedly, as Lelouch was rather well known as a man of mystery.

Guilty as charged, he could only chuckle weakly.

"Maybe one or two," he conceded, noting that even as they laughed together, talking for a while, and then simply sitting together in silence, she never let go of his hand.

* * *

**Student Council Clubroom, Ashford Academy**

A spasm of coughing rent the silence of the Student Council Clubroom as Kallen Kozuki stirred from her long bout of unconsciousness, looking for all-the-world (on top of her body being wracked with by phantom pain) that she was suffering from a world-class hangover. It took precious seconds for her mind to rise to full wakefulness, waving aside the gauzy veil of pain that otherwise deadened her senses and reaction time.

'_I'm…alive…'_

This was the first observation to sink in, as the state of being dead did not lend itself to feeling pain. The second was that she was in a conference room and was lying on the table. And, as the third, as she slowly ran her hands up and down her body to check for wounds, the redhead was surprised to find that not only was she unwounded, but she was dressed in men's clothing.

'_Though that isn't entirely surprising, considering what was left for me in the bathroom,'_ she recalled, her eye twitching open as she remembered exactly whose clothes these must be, her mouth wrinkling with distaste. _'Still, he didn't kill me, and I_ was_ the one who attacked him first…'_

Usually one to act first and ask questions later, if at all, the part-time terrorist found herself slightly regretting the fact that she had been so hasty, having categorized the boy as an enemy upon learning that he was a "Britannian" who knew who she was.

'_Though I don't think you can blame me for attacking when he looked like a demon…'_

Still, the thought of stripping off the clothing so as not to rely on the charity of the one who had bested her was—

"If you really want to, I won't stop you," came a voice from the shadows, letting her know that she wasn't alone. "After all, it's nothing that I haven't already seen."

A female voice this, but not one she recognized from the Student Council (the only ones allowed to have access to this building), or from school as a whole.

"Who are you?" Kallen demanded, hauling herself upright to seek out the speaker, looking around for something she could use as a weapon in case the stranger meant her harm.

"Don't bother looking for your pouch-knife, as it's not in the room," the voice spoke once again, coolly amused. "Besides, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have watched over you after Avenger finished with you, much less arranged the ceasefire in Shinjuku."

The part-time terrorist's eyes widened at these pieces of information—both that this person was known to Avenger or Lelouch or whoever the hell he was (for all she knew, he might even be a prince of the Empire, laughable as that might be), and that she had arranged the ceasefire.

It suddenly occurred to Kallen that in confronting Lelouch, she might not have done the resistance any favors, especially if its benefactors from Shinjuku didn't feel like having their identities exposed.

'_And just what was that demonic world of death? How the heck did I do half the things I did there?'_

"And what do you want from us?" the redhead asked guardedly. People never offered something for nothing to anyone, particularly not to terrorists, to those who they knew the weaknesses of

"Simply what you want," came the quick answer, with a slight pause for effect. "The destruction of Britannia."

"But we're already fighting Britannia," Kallen protested, only for the figure to step out of the shadows into the harsh moonlight.

The stranger was dressed in an elegantly tailored ensemble that reminded Kallen of what higher ranking nobles might wear: a royal purple coat and trousers with gold edging, over which was worn a reversible cape (black on the outside, red on the inside). The only anomaly was that the face of the figure was covered with a mask of some variety, all black, save for a purplish oval faceplate.

The effect looked rather like one of the royal chess pieces, either a black king or a black queen. Exactly which, it was hard to be sure.

"As Sun Tzu before him, 'know your enemy,'" the figure replied, voice melodic and resonant in her mind. "Britannia will not bow to terrorism, only to like strength."

"…that's exactly what Avenger said," Kallen replied, glaring at the mysterious being before her. Whether this person would be a friend or foe, only time would tell. "Just who are you? And what is your connection to Avenger?"

Other questions, such as _'what was that mysterious power he used to transport us into a demonic world?', _ Kallen knew better than to ask at a first meeting.

"I suppose I will have to answer that question sooner or later," the masked one replied with a quiet laugh, one that seemed heavy with the weight of ages. "Avenger himself is a mortal enemy of the Britannian Empire. And as for myself..."

Silence for a moment, the figure seeming to pierce the redhead with a stare.

"I am Avenger's master," C.C. said at last, her words revealing everything, and nothing. "I…am Zero."


	6. Auguries of Destruction

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Lamperouge Residence, Ashford Academy**

Try as one might to deny it, sleep was a fleeting thing when one needed it most, as a still-exhausted prince-in-exile, desperately trying to catch up on much-needed rest, discovered much to his displeasure. All too soon, morning had come, and with it came the awareness of phantom injuries. It was a well known fact that injuries often felt worse after a night of sleep, when the adrenaline and endorphins that had kept the body going finally wore off—and so it was for Avenger, whose mind and body still recalled the feeling of being stabbed, staked, impaled, burned, seared, choked and otherwise brought to the verge of death the night before.

"Arrgh…" the boy groaned involuntarily, as rays of sunlight angled towards his eyes, adding insult to quite extant injury. "I should have known that even fighting in a Phantasm World would have side effects…"

Shifting his position so that he wasn't in danger of being blinded by light, Avenger forced his thoughts to clear with willpower alone, opening his eyes to survey his surroundings—only to find himself looking into a pair of golden eyes glinting with wry amusement.

"The same might be said about staying awake until dawn with the Ashford girl," C.C teased, her supple form clad all in white once more. This time, the immortal Code-bearer had chosen to wear the bridal gown that Lelouch had once been forced to wear by the rest of the Council during another of Milly's outrageous events, one that brought back very embarrassing memories of humiliation and indignity. "She already left for classes, but didn't want to wake you."

'_Not that dress…'_

It was bad enough that he had had to model the dress in front of the entire student body, and worse that they had immediately started taking pictures with their camera phones, but that level of humiliation Lelouch was used to. But even _his_ enthusiasm had limits, and when the fashion club set up an internet shrine to "Princess Lulu", announcing "her" entrance into the Miss Internet Area 11 competition, the exiled prince's veneer of civility had finally snapped, with him abusing his power as Student Council Vice President to outright order the website taken down, on pain of the club being disbanded...and as it was, the fashion club still received a massive cut in allocated funding.

Faced with the stern opposition of a suddenly serious Lelouch, the fashion club had backed down, with profuse apologies—though that didn't stop the images from being passed along on discussion boards for several months after—one of the very few times the prince felt a guilty sense of gratitude that Nunnally was blind and thus could not see his humiliation.

"I don't want to hear such comments from—" Avenger began, though he cut himself off as he caught the entirety of what the witch had said. "…don't tell me she saw you here?"

While he would likely have to explain C.C.'s presence eventually, especially as this was indeed _Ashford_ Academy, now was far too soon—his plans had not yet been laid, much less borne fruit.

"Of course not, who do you think I am, Lelouch? You?" C.C. chided, plopping herself down on the bed beside him. "Anyway, I talked to Rider after she awoke. Surprisingly, she doesn't feel up to killing you at the moment."

'_C.C. just delights in making my life difficult, doesn't she?'_

"Oh?" the servant asked, not wanting to say too much, and certainly not letting his face show what he was thinking. Hopefully, the immortal had a good explanation for acting directly, after she had told him that it was his role to do so. "And what exactly did you say?"

"Only that I was your master, and that you were an enemy of Britannia," the witch replied, bringing an expression of undisguised relief to the face of her champion. "Satisfied?"

"For now…"

Content, the exiled prince was just about to relax when the Grey Witch rolled off of bed and stood up in one smooth motion, walking over to his writing desk, where she lingered, her back blocking his view of what she was doing.

'_I don't have much on the desk at the moment, unless…'_

_Click!_

All at once, his cell phone was in the witch's hands, as she quickly dialed a number.

'_Who could she be calling? A rebel contact? A Britannian defector? A—'_

But his assumptions were far off the mark, and the poor champion's forehead met his hand, as if to ward off an impending headache as he heard her next words.

"Hello, is this Pizza Hut?" the witch voiced, suddenly animated. "Yes, that's right. Five pepperoni pizzas, extra-large, to be delivered to the Ashford Academy Clubhouse. Thirty minutes? Great, thank you very much."

With that, the witch hung up, turning to look at her servant's prone form.

"You don't mind, do you Avenger?" she purred, purely as a formality, since clearly she didn't care if he minded or not.

'…_something tells me this is going to be a very long day…'_

Even Lelouch knew the importance of choosing his battles, and so bowed to the inevitable on this minor issue.

"Do as you like…"

* * *

**Ashford Academy**

'_I am Avenger's master_. _I…am Zero_."

Seven simple words, the last that a certain masked woman had spoken to a part time terrorist before vanishing into shadow, seven words that had thoroughly unsettled Kallen Kozuki, who was currently sitting in class while the teacher droned on about the history of Britannia. She paid no heed to the lecture, however, as she was otherwise preoccupied, thinking about what had transpired the day before.

Her confrontation with Lelou—no, Avenger, had not gone the way she thought it would, her plans to interrogate him with a knife to his throat mangled beyond all recognition by a power she had difficulty coming to terms with. With two words, the mysterious boy had twisted the fabric of reality, with the redhead blanking out for a moment, only to come to in a world tainted by the need for vengeance, face to face with a demon. A short but brutal skirmish had broken out, and in the end, Kallen had fallen, playing right into her opponent's trap.

'_Gah, this makes no sense!'_ the redhead groused silently, frustrated by her inability to come to a sensible explanation for this. _'None of that should even be possible, at least not for a human being. Sending me to that world, changing my appearance, inflicting near lethal damage with a mere word, taking Ohgi's form to distract me...maybe he's a demon after all.'_

But then, if Avenger was a demon, why had he let her live after she had fought against him? Why give her a fighting chance at all, instead of possessing her against her will or manipulating her like a puppet, since his words apparently had great power? And more to the point, if he were a demon, then what did that make her, who had fought a demon evenly, dodging bullets, sending blasts of heat at her foe, using snake-like hair to entrap and contain, a powerful weapon all on its own?

That last thought sent a chill down Kallen's spine, eyes growing wide at the possible implications. Could it be that that was why she had sensed the oddness about him, and no one else could? Because she, too, was also a demon of some sort?

Certainly, Japanese folklore often spoke of changeling children who had been swapped with oni in the cradle, who acted differently from their parents and often looked different as—

'_I'm sure Zero will have some answers…or maybe Avenger next time I talk to him,' _she concluded, hastily breaking off that rather disturbing line of thought. '_If I talk to him. Alone. Outside of Student Council business…'_

While Kallen was not entirely comfortable around a man whose soul seemed to smell of fire and blood (perfectly understandable, given that very few would be in her situation), she still had to acknowledge that she owed him her life at least once, if not twice, depending on whether she assigned credit for the ceasefire to him or to the enigmatic Zero.

'_Avenger's Master, she called herself, naming her servant as a mortal enemy of Britannia,'_ the part-time terrorist recalled, her eyes widening as the last words Avenger had spoke to her on the battlefield came to her in full. _'And Avenger himself admitted to being a Britannian who hated Britannia…'_

It would have been a risky admission to make to a trusted friend, much less a near stranger, but…

'_I can't tell anyone, since I'm a member of the resistance,' _the redhead thought to herself, conceding that Lelouch had picked the perfect person to tell, and in a situation where no one could have heard, or would even consider real, no less. _'And even if I wasn't, who would believe me anyway?'_

_Fsh!_

One of her classmates, also bored of listening to the repetitious lecture, had apparently been twirling a pencil in her hands, when she had slipped, the pencil flying right for the side of Kallen's head. Hearing the sound, the redhead turned to face it, catching sight of the pencil as it headed right for her—and then veered suddenly away to clatter on a nearby desk.

A sudden flash of agony shot through her mind, her left eye feeling like it would melt for a brief instant, before things settled down again.

'_What. The. Hell?'_

Quietly, the half-Britannian tore a small piece of paper from her notebook and shredded it to pieces, hiding the resultant paper fragments in one hand. Looking around slowly to make sure no one was watching, she raised that hand a couple feet above the other, then let the shards of white fall, trying to recall the feeling in her mind.

Whimsically, she pictured all the pieces taking different paths to land in the form of a snowflake, before dismissing the idle thought. She couldn't have some sort of strange power like that, right? Psychic abilities were only the stuff of legend and ridicule, which no one believed in anymore.

'_Yeah, right, if those existed, then people would—'_

Seeing a pattern of white from the corner of her eye, Kallen sighed, glancing down to see what it was—a note perhaps? Or—

'_No…that's not possible….'_

Eyes wide, Kallen froze, cold sweat beading in the hollow of her back as ice congealed within her chest. _Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!_ Her heart raced, as she tried to reject what she saw—but could not.

On her desk was a crude six-pointed snowflake of paper.

'_No…I…'_

Despite her attempts to deny what she saw, a nasty little whisper in her mind brought up something that she had once read: _"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."_

'_Then in that case, I will have to speak with Avenger…and Zero…sooner than I thought…'_

As hardened as she was in battle, the part-time terrorist had to admit that the prospect of confronting either of those unnerved her, as if their presence triggered the long hidden instincts to flee when faced with an unfathomable mystery. Avenger had worn the mask of a frail, good-natured Britannian student like any other, and yet had unleashed devastating powers when pushed into a corner. And Zero…one could only guess as to Zero's true nature. Given that the enigmatic woman had styled herself as Avenger's master though, it was likely that she was even more powerful than he … a thought that led her to give quiet thanks that those two were Britannia's enemies, not hers.

_Brrring!_

And with that, another long day of class was over, with some students packing up and leaving quickly for club activities, others returning to the dorms, and a few remaining in the room to chat or watch videos on their computers.

Kallen only shook her head at this, miffed at how these Britannian students could be so shallow and uncaring of the oppression going on right outside the Academy. Was that what she would have become, barring her involvement in the resistance?

That possibility scared and revolted her even more than the prospect of having to talk with Avenger or his master, and faced with a choice between two evils—

'_Oh, all right already…'_

She made up her mind, glancing around the room to look for Lelouch, only to find that he wasn't there.

'_And I thought I was the one who missed classes all the time.'_

Shaking her head, the part-time terrorist was about to say goodbye to her 'friends' and head to the student council clubhouse, when a media stream on a nearby computer caught her attention with the name "Shinjuku."

Curious as to what it was, the redhead leaned over quietly to get a better look, her eyes widening as she listened and watched.

The acting-viceroy, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, was holding a press-conference, fielding questions from reporters on why he had needed to take up this role.

"For seven years," the arrogant leader of the Purist faction thundered to the crowd, "For seven years, we Britannians have attempted to rule with a light hand in Area 11, creating jobs, building up civic infrastructure, providing economic freedom to live as they will – even offering them a chance to become Honorary Britannians, offering the chance for equality."

Kallen ground her teeth in displeasure, but the worst was yet to come.

"But we were wrong!" the noble boomed out, his face twisted in anguish. "Kindness alone cannot heal the wounds of the past, as the Elevens have shown time and time again! They reject our generosity, choosing instead to become terrorists, daring to blame us for their poverty and squalor! Witness the continuing acts of terrorism perpetrated by their kind throughout Area 11! Witness Shinjuku, where they unleashed poison gas among their own people simply to strike at us, where Prince Clovis was taken from us by their treachery, dying a martyr for Holy Britannia! Now, we must burry our sorrow and carry on his will, to crush those would stand against us without mercy! All hail Britannia!"

Bile rose in the redhead's throat as she listened to the Britannian acting-viceroy's drivel, head throbbing as she thought about how much she would like to rip the haughty one to shreds. Perhaps that would satisfy—

'_No. Britannia will not fall to terrorism_._'_

Zero was right about that much, that the Holy Empire of Britannia would regard a group of terrorists as nothing more than gnats to be crushed. To truly defeat Britannia, one must fight on their terms, just as to fight a demon—

'…_one must become a demon.'_

Kallen turned to go once more, this time managing to take a couple steps before the door before a sudden announcement from the TV drew her back:

"We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news," the newscaster spoke frenetically. "The terrorists suspected of masterminding the Shinjuku Incident have been captured. According to this report, the suspects are two Elevens, Kaname Ohgi—"

Her blood ran cold as she heard the name of her resistance cell leader, head moving involuntarily to look at the men on the screen, comrades that she had known and fought alongside for years.

"—and Shinichirō Tamaki, both affiliated with the Japanese resistance. The two men have been charged with mass murder, high treason, and the assassination of an Imperial Prince."

* * *

**Student Council Clubroom, Ashford Academy**

After a long day of cutting classes, doing some research on the Internet, travelling around to run certain errands (read: picking up more clothes for C.C.), and on top of that, being forced to do push-ups and sit-ups as an amused C.C. looked on-something that the prince considered decidedly cruel and unusual punishment-whilst eating slices of pizza, Lelouch vi Britannia wanted nothing more than a little peace and quiet.

Thus, he had come to the Student Council's conference room, knowing that it would be at least a temporary haven since no meetings had been scheduled for the day. With the curtains drawn and the lights off, it made for a reasonable simulacrum of a bedroom, and the prince was just about to take a quick cat nap on the couch when—

_Knock! Knock! Creak!_

The door to the room swung open, and Avenger looked up to see the person who had nearly killed him the day before: Kallen Kozuki, part-time terrorist, honors student, and Independent Champion of Eden Vital.

"Ah, there you are. I've been looking for you," the girl greeted him quietly, demure as her persona normally seemed. "You think that you could spare a minute? I need to talk to you."

'_Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting this…_' Avenger thought to himself, beckoning his fellow Champion to enter as he made sure his emotional mask was on. _'May as well deal with it sooner than later…'_

"Sure," he said, as personably as he could, the barest hint of a smile crossing his lips. "I was wondering when you were going to ask. I'm not exactly doing much at the moment, as you can see."

"Oh? And here I thought that the Student Council was always busy with work, with 'fingers on the pulse of Ashford Academy'," the redhead gently teased, quoting the description the Vice-President had given her when extending his invitation.

"Not besides occasional paperwork and planning school events," Avenger admitted with a chuckle. No doubt that Rider had a reason for coming to see him beyond this, but... _'I'll wait until she comes out with it…most likely it is related to the capture of her comrades.'_

"You mean like the cultural festival?" Kallen asked, claiming the spot on the couch besides the raven-haired prince, whose scent of blood and terror was somewhat lessened today, with the difference made up by lavender. _'Odd…must be his shampoo.'_

"Yep, like that, along with the cross-dressers' ball, the absolute silence party and swim suit day," Lelouch rattled off, a list of events that had the terrorist throwing a sharp glance in his direction, decidedly not amused.

"That was a joke…right?" she asked, her narrowed eyes and stern expression emphasizing the seriousness of her inquiry.

"No, I'm afraid not," the prince-in-exile answered, knowing the truth of that all too well from personal experience, and simply smirking when her glance turned into a glare. "Hey don't look at me, blame our president. You'll be spending a lot of time with her, I'm sure. I hope you're ready."

Not for the first time, Kallen wondered exactly why she had gotten herself into, then shook her head, clearing it of superfluous thoughts. She wasn't going to allow Avenger to distract her from why she had come here, no matter how good he was with his tongue.

"We won't be disturbed inside here, will we?" she asked suddenly, changing the subject and glancing about warily.

'_I was wondering when you would come to the point. Very well, I will oblige.'_

"Not unless someone from the Student Council comes in," the prince answered, looking around, a wry little smirk on his face as he thought of a way their conversation was sure to be private. "Though if you really want to be sure…"

Before she could catch on, or object, Lelouch reached down and took her hand in his.

'_**Eternal Glass Moon,'**_ he thought quietly, focusing on the feeling of his master's mental world through his link with the witch.

A mysterious bird like sigil blazed crimson in the air, and then everything went white.

* * *

**Phantasm World – "Eternal Glass Moon"**

Quietly, eyes were slowly opened, and the two Servants stir from what seems to be a state of slumber, becoming aware of each other and the world spread out around them. They were lying in the midst of a grassy field extending as far as the eye can see, looking up at the silver moon. There was no one else in this place, no sign of human presence, no sounds from any animals, just Avenger and Rider in a vulnerable moment, lying side by side, connected by a single point of warmth: their joined hands, a point of contact Rider recoiled from with a surge of embarrassment.

Around them was a bright darkness, with the moon hanging low in a sky crisscrossed with runes and lines and magic symbols, constellations of focused thought aglow with inner light stretching over this grassy sea, a molten gold and silver tapestry of whorls and arcs and rays.

Yet all was still, save for the rise and fall of the two Servant's chests: the wind did not blow and the grass did not sway.

A beautiful vista of solitude, smelling slightly of hydrangeas.

"Another one of these places..." Rider uttered at last, propping herself up on an elbow to get a better look at Avenger. Her voice seemed distant, and her form very tired, but still she pushed on. "You've heard the news about Shinjuku?"

"Indeed," Avenger acknowledged, his cloak of shadows wrapping tightly around his frame as he shivered in the cold night air. "Though those accusations are lies, and the men accused innocent of wrongdoing."

"And…" the red-haired servant began, hesitating for a moment as she wondered how to phrase her query.

"Yes?" the raven-haired prince asked in turn, knowing what she wanted to say, but waiting for her to say it.

"About what you said yesterday…" Kallen started again, this time shifting to her more forceful personality. "Why do you hate Britannia if you're a Britannian?"

There was a moment of silence as Avenger collected his thoughts, the scent of blood and death on him suddenly multiplying ten-fold as malice laced his voice.

"Eight years ago, my mother, a Britannian commoner who married into nobility, was murdered," he recounted darkly, growling as some of the darkest hours of his young life flashed before his eyes. "In that incident, my sister Nunnally was crippled. Because of that, my father threw us away, sending us to Japan, while arranging the paperwork to have my sister and me declared dead. Make no mistake, he was high enough in the government to know that war was coming...he banished us and left us for dead."

"Oh…" Kallen murmured, taken aback by the raw anger in Avenger's voice. She didn't know that there were Britannians who had suffered that much—but the wraith of vengeance was speaking once more, and she could only listen.

"My name is a lie," he said, voice deep and steady as it channeled deep-held anger. "For I was not born Lelouch Lamperouge. That is the name I have worn only since Japan became Area 11, as much a lie as 'Eleven' is to someone Japanese. As much of a lie as 'Stadtfeld.'"

This last bit was directed rather pointedly at Kallen, who had admitted to being Japanese during their fierce battle.

"It's Kozuki," Rider admitted after a moment of hesitation. If this demon king could bare his soul, well…so could she. "I was born as Kallen Kozuki."

And then, curiosity got the best of her.

"So, what was your real name?" the redhead asked, looking quizzically at the reclining prince. "Turnabout is fair play, you know."

"It is irrelevant now," Lelouch spoke, dismissing the topic brusquely. "That life and that name are dead to me."

So he said, though in reality he knew that Kallen would not accept his true name readily, if at all. Being the former Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire did not exactly carry many benefits, especially when talking to a terrorist who despised Britannia.

'_She'd probably try to kill me again, though perhaps not, since this is a Phantasm World. Still, it's not worth the—'_

"I need your help," Rider said all at once, interrupting his line of thought.

"Let me guess, you want me to rescue your comrades," Avenger predicted, already thinking of possible ways in which it might be accomplished.

'_It would be simple enough to break them out of prison, but that approach wouldn't deal enough damage to Britannia's integrity. Turn myself in? Not an option. There needs to be something more… dramatic…something more—'_

"—hey you. It's dangerous just lying around like that."

But Lelouch's thoughts were interrupted by an all too familiar voice, the one that started him down this lonely road. He looked up, and—

"Eh?" he managed weakly, surprised by the Grey Witch's appearance.

This time, the Code-bearer was dressed much as she had when the witch had spoken to Rider the night before, clad in a coat and trousers of royal purple trimmed with gold, with a black cape and mask completing the ensemble.

'_She looks rather like a black queen piece…'_

"What do you mean, 'eh'?" the Code-bearer rejoined sardonically. "You certainly have an awful lot of free time on your hands if you can lie around here in the middle of the afternoon, Avenger. I was this close to kicking you, so you better watch out."

She said this with a hint of amusement, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Oh, is that so witch?" Avenger shot back, a hint of defiance in his voice, propping himself up with his elbows. "Kicked? And by who, _master_?"

"Isn't it obvious, boy?" C.C. declared confidently with a hint of amusement. "I'm the one looming above your head, so who could it be but me?"

Suppressing a chuckle, Lelouch settled for raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Or Kallen Kozuki over there, of course, if you two get tired of acting like lovebirds," the Grey Witch declared airily, triggering an indignant outburst from the girl in question.

"I-I-It's not like that at all, Zero!" Kallen protested vociferously, leaping to her feet, her Champion form's hair rising into the air of its own accord like angry, hissing snakes as if to threaten the masked one.

"Calm down Kallen," Avenger called to his fellow Champion, knowing that an attack on the witch would be futile at best. _'After all…this is _Zero's_ world, the world of C.C. and the Keeper of Memory.'_ "You don't want to get her angry."

This much he said from experience, involuntarily shivering as he remembered how easily C.C. had shredded his form with but a thought.

"Feisty and impulsive…quite different from you, isn't she, Avenger?" the self-styled Zero asked of her servant, a dangerous smile playing across her lips. "Yes, you and Rider do make quite a good pair…I approve."

"Oh, please," Kallen spoke up once again, fingers close to summoning her chained daggers. "It's easy to tease other people and say whatever you want when you're hiding behind that mask, isn't it? You say you're Avenger's master, and that you want to help me destroy Britannia, but you've done nothing as far as I can tell."

"Oh?" C.C. replied from behind the mask of Zero, amused that Rider is opposing her so forcefully. "And what about the ceasefire in Shinjuku? Would you call that nothing?"

"How do I know it wasn't Avenger?" the redhead shot back, glaring daggers. "How can I trust someone who wouldn't even show me her face?"

"Heh, you show spirit. Very well," the Grey Witch conceded, nodding once. "I'll show you. But rather than my face, I shall show you results, wielder of Absolute Refraction. If I deliver to you the impossible, and rescue your comrades, will I have earned your trust?"

Servant Rider stilled for a minute, tilting her head, then nods once, acquiescing. She would not be the one to look a gift horse in the mouth and doom Ohgi and Tamaki to death.

"If you can do that, I will follow you."

"I trust you will be willing to help in the operation, if needed?" Zero asked quietly, the purple oval of her faceplate turning to point at the independent Champion. "Your Geass may be quite useful in the days ahead."

"My Geass?"

"Yes…" the Grey Witch elaborated, glancing over to Avenger, who had been quietly looking on. "You possess the power of Absolute Refraction, the ability to alter the trajectory of moving objects. And with that…"

C.C. snapped her fingers, and Kallen's form vanished from the phantasm world "Eternal Glass Moon."

The moment she disappeared, the Witch reached back and pressed a hidden button on the back of the helmet.

_Hiss!_

There was a momentary hissing sound, and then the back of the helmet retracted, falling forward into C.C's waiting hand.

"You know, it's rather amusing that you picked my phantasm world as a place where no one would disturb your conversation," the immortal said with a sniff.

"Do you always have to be so difficult?" the wraith of vengeance asked, rolling his eyes, though he could stop a smirk from crossing his lips.

"Do you have to use my mind as a private conference room?"

"Touché," Avenger conceded, knowing she had a point. "Well, do you have a plan?"

"I was thinking…a piece of street theatre."

A short discussion later, master and servant shared a deliciously wicked smirk, and then both figures vanished from this illusory world.

* * *

**Student Council Clubroom, Ashford Academy**

"LULU!"

When Kallen came to, awakened by the sound of an ear-piercing shriek of outrage, she was treated to one of the most bizarre scenes she had ever seen at Ashford Academy, with Lelouch Lamperouge, Vice President of the Student Council, prince-in-exile, and heartthrob of more than half the girls at Ashford, being attacked by a highly upset Shirley Fenette.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! _

Having forgotten some lab data in the Clubroom the day before, the orangette had returned to retrieve it after school ended, only to discover a scene that chilled her to the bone: the sleeping forms of Lelouch and Kallen slumped against each other like lovers on the Student Council couch, with the two of them holding hands.

"LULU! HOW COULD YOU?ǃ" she screeched again, red-faced with mingled embarrassment and jealous anger.

Unlike his gradual awakening into the Grey Witch's Phantasm World, Lelouch vi Britannia reentrance to reality was rude and abrupt, sped greatly along by a shriek that was no doubt heard through all of Ashford Academy. Or at least it seemed that way to the prince-in-exile, who was being given…less than royal treatment at an orangette's hands.

_Thwack! Thwack!_

"Ow…hey, stop Shirley!" he called out, coming to full awareness almost immediately and raising one of his arms to protect his face from the roll of paper his assailant was brandishing wildly.

_Thwack! _Then nothing, except ragged breathing and the soft _thump-thump-thump _of retreating footsteps.

Upon hearing Lelouch's voice, Shirley had finally backed off, dropping her improvised weapon to the ground as she looked from Kallen to Lelouch to Kallen, and then pointed at their joined hands.

The two Champions followed the orangette's hurt gaze with their own, eyes widening as they realized what she was looking at, and hastily drew their hands back to themselves.

"Kallen, Lulu…can I ask you something important?" the orangette inquired shakily, her hair wild and her demeanor more than slightly frazzled.

"Uh-huh," Kallen answered quietly, as her Britannian student role was wont to do.

"Sure, what is it?" Lelouch replied, as Lelouch Lamperouge now, not Avenger, making sure to smile with the usual good natured attitude of the same.

"Ah…how do I put this?" Shirley continued, laughing nervously. "Ah…are you two hiding something from us?"

"Huh?" both Kallen and Lelouch said, turning to look at one another, and then back at the orangette in perfect synchronization. While it was true that both of them did have many secrets, such as both not being who they said they were, committing acts of terrorism, hating Britannia, possessing the power of Geass, and being Champions in a war for the fate of the world, they had a feeling this wasn't what Shirley meant.

But the shared look only disturbed dear Shirley Fenette, who was certain they were hiding something now. After all, when a secret was about to be exposed, one would naturally look to one's co-conspirator almost instinctively…

"If it's something too personal..." the orangette began, fearing the worst but not wanting to force them to reply - not even sure she wanted to know, for that matter.

"No," Kallen answered quietly, trying to find out what Shirley meant. There was no way she could have discovered any of what had happened in the last few days, so… "What are you talking about?"

"You can tell me. I promise I won't be shocked or upset," Shirley spoke, a slightly longer than necessary pause between her words, as she nearly babbled. "Uh, well, the thing is…I happened to see you together in the bathroom yesterday. You were naked, and Lulu was on top of you."

"Um..." the redhead gulped, flushing at the mental image that produced. She had not been awake for that, and was quite unaware that it had happened.

Lelouch, on the other hand, just facepalmed.

"Urghh," Shirley moaned, frustrated at the fact that they weren't answering. "You two are going out, right?"

"With him?"

"With her?"

Both replies were again, simultaneous, and in the mind of Shirley Fenette…very very suspicious.

"But the other day, and now…" the orangette trailed off, hoping the two would take the hint and tell her what was going on. If they were going out, the least they could do was let her down gently.

"Ah, no no no no no," Kallen answered hastily, as Shirley's reaction began to fluster her as well. How would she respond? _'Of course…illness.' _"Oh, those…those were entirely my fault."

"Your fault?ǃ" Shirley repeated hysterically, eyes wide with panic and looking like she was about to cry. "You me, you were the one who seduc—"

"No, wait! It wasn't like that!" the redhead tried to explain. "Really, it wasn't. Besides, it's not like we kissed or anything."

Of course, people tend to hear what they already think happened, and the one dubbed 'the Student Council's Perfect 10' by a certain dirty-minded blond was no different.

"Or anything?ǃ" the poor orangette cried out, nearly fainting as terrible images of passion shot through her mind, refusing to leave as they painted a sordid tale of desire and intrigue. "Then…then yesterday…you two stopped just short of doing it?ǃ"

"Will you quit imagining things?" Kallen countered one last time, losing her patience and snapping at the Lulu fangirl. "You don't understand the circumstances one bit! Think about it: I have anemia, remember? Yesterday, I must have fainted and accidentally pulled Lelouch down on top of me. And today, I was just tired so I came here to take a nap, though Lelouch beat me to it."

Lelouch vi Britannia, knowing that nothing he could say at this point would help, simply counted down from 10 to 1, while holding his tongue.

"…really?" Shirley asked, turning to her unrequited love in a huff. "B-but you two were holding hands!"

"It must have happened while I was asleep, Shirley," the Vice President responded in a soothing tone. "Anyway, I assure you nothing happened, and we're not going out."

A little more ragged breathing from the orangette, whose hysteria dissolved into a guarded, searching look as she studied him.

"Can I believe that, Lulu?" she asked, looking down at the floor.

"…yeah, it's true," the prince of lies answered disarmingly, the gentle smile that had made him the school heartthrob gracing his features beatifically. "I wouldn't lie to you."

Well, any more than the minor fact that his entire life was a lie, anyway.

A tense moment, two, then three, long seconds passing as the orangette just looked at her crush - then nodded, the panic bleeding out of her as she sagged in relief.

"Uhm, I'm…really sorry, Lulu…I…" Shirley muttered, now embarrassed at the huge misunderstanding. In situations like this, the best course of action would be to quietly leave the scene with what shreds of dignity one had left, so...that was all that was left to do.

_Thump! Thump-Thump! Thump-Thump-Thump!_

A step backwards, then another, then another still.

"I'll make it up to you sometime," Shirley called out as she opened the door and stepped outside, her voice trailing behind her. "Maybe we can see a concert, or visit Clovis' art museum together, ok?"

_Thud!_

The heavy wooden door closed behind her, leaving the two Champions alone in the darkness.

_'The art museum at Clovisland is the last place I feel like visiting,' _Lelouch had the tact to keep from saying.

Another long, awkward moment of silence.

"…is your life always this...interesting?" asked Kallen, leaning back on the couch. After the events in the witch's Phantasm World, an emotional confrontation had been the last thing she needed. "Just how many fangirls do you have?"

"Heh...you should see me in drag sometime."

"…I'll pass, thanks."

* * *

**En Route to Execution Site, Several Days later**

Jeremiah Gottwald, Margrave in the Britannian Army, Leader of the Purist Faction, and most recently, acting-Viceroy of Area 11, was for once pleased. After the Shinjuku Incident, the teal-haired officer had dispatched several squads of troopers on raids against Elevens that been long suspected of acting against Britannia. To their surprise, their efforts had netted two men known to be part of a local resistance cell: Kaname Ohgi and Shinichirō Tamaki, names known from past statements from the resistance claiming responsibility for other notorious events.

'_And now everything is going as planned,'_ the Margrave thought as he stood the piloting platform of his personal Knightmare, looking from the two terrorists bound and gagged on display, to the four Sutherlands escorting the transport, with more lining the road, and then at last to the throngs of Britannians thirsty for blood. _'My, how easy it is to get the people's approval.'_

Then a call came in, with reports of an approaching vehicle—at which point, the acting-viceroy stopped smiling, and ordered the convoy to a halt.

'_Clovis' car? Is this some kind of sick joke? A rescue attempt perhaps…how laughable.'_

Onward the imitation of Clovis' transport came, heading towards the convoy with impunity, and Jeremiah readied himself for a piece of street theatre. He would allow the terrorists to draw near, so that he could make a stand and show once and for all, that Britannians need not fear any Eleven scum, for they had no power here.

And then at last, it stopped.

"You dare desecrate his highness' transport?" the Pureblood Margrave thundered towards the vehicle in question, his voice echoing out to the teeming masses. "Come out of there at once!"

'_Let's begin then, and end this foolish game.'_

_Whoosh!_

Flames erupted from the base of the Britannian flag, above the driver's compartment, the symbol of the Empire crumbling to ashes to reveal a figure clad in darkness: a black mask and cape all that was visible.

"I…am Zero!"

The figure declared, androgynous voice carrying out across the audience quite easily.

"You have some nerve," Jeremiah noted, inwardly disappointed. _'This joker is all the terrorists could send? How pathetic. Why couldn't it have been Tohdoh of Miracles from the Japanese Liberation Front?' _"But this little show of yours is over. Now, first things first, why don't you lose that mask?"

With a snap of his fingers, four Sutherlands moved in to surround the transport on all sides, their guns ready to shoot the moment the order was given.

But the masked woman of mystery was unphased, the faceplate of her helmet turned to stare down the acting-viceroy, ignoring the Knightmares as if they posed no threat.

"Release the prisoners at once," Zero commanded, the voice pitched just high enough to carry, low enough to intimidate.

Gottwald mentally revised his estimate of the terrorist's audacity upwards, while simultaneously revising down his estimate of the mental capacity of the same.

"Like hell," the Margrave spat, wringing every ounce of dramatic tension he could get from the situation. First he would villainize this would-be hero, and then destroy him utterly. "These are the terrorists responsible for releasing the poison gas in Shinjuku, charged with high treason for murdering a prince and his entire personal staff. I can't hand them over."

He brought up his sidearm, pointing it at the one called Zero, and was about to open fire when—

"You're mistaken, Jeremiah Gottwald," Zero declared, with a flourish of the cape, revealing the purple garments edged with gold beneath. "There was no poison gas in Shinjuku, nor did these men participate in the killing of Clovis and his men."

"What nonsense are—"

But Zero cut off the acting viceroy's protests with a sweep of his arm.

"The one who killed the royal guard, who crippled the Britannian forces in Shinjuku, who killed Clovis and his entire command staff – it was I!" the masked one proudly announced, much to the shock of all present, the crowds flinching back from a premonition of danger and deadly violence.

"Then you have pronounced yourself guilty, you are to be executed!" the Margrave's voice boomed out, looking over to his pilots as—

"Go ahead and shoot, Britannians," the masked would-be rescuer said evenly, raising the back of her hand as if warding off impending death, "but only if you are willing to yourselves be shot!"

Sick of this maniac's grandstanding, the Acting-Viceroy could tolerate this madness no more, pulling the trigger of his weapon and giving the order for the Knightmares to fire. After all, there was no such thing as overkill in theatre.

"Open fire!"

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

The four Sutherlands' assault cannons boomed again and again and again, filling the air with heavy slugs that—

"What?"

"How the…?"

"Holy mother of—"

—shot towards the masked Zero, then sped away, slingshotting around the vigilante's black cloaked form in a vortex of metal, one growing by the moment as more and more ammunition was wasted into a cyclone of whirring shards of shrapnel that—

_BOOM!_

"AUGGHH!"

"Knightmare down, Knightmare down!"

—exploded outwards in an orgy of destruction, the anti-material rounds accurately lancing through the cockpits and power cores of the Britannian Knightmares present, disabling them, and continuing on to reduce the Britannian footsoldiers—and the Margrave himself, into little more than splatters of blood upon the ground.

They struck home again and again and again, killing their targets with precision, but leaving the two prisoners and the Britannian audience untouched, stunned by onslaught such violence.

Unnoticed in the crowd, a young half-Britannian schoolgirl was looking on at the proceedings, tracking the bullets' path as her left eye blazed red with the sigil of Geass.

_The Geass of Absolute Refraction._

She had been stationed in the teeming masses beforehand, lining up early to get a spot along the street where Avenger had calculated the convoy would stop. Controlling so many objects at once, altering their trajectories en masse, her senses disassociated, the world threatening to become a white sheet as the sound of nerves and blood vessels burning away roared.

But against the pain, her mind merely accelerated, overclocking itself with sheer determination, turning the bullets that would have slaughtered Zero and Avenger upon the ones who had fired them, delivering a super-sized version of absolute retribution.

The only Knightmare left intact was that of the late Margrave, and its pilot too, is dead.

Now a second figure emerged from the imitation of Clovis' transport, a man in a coat and bondage pants of black and silver, over which was worn a crimson longcoat and a black mask with a silver oval for a face. This new figure bounded over to the late Margrave's Knightmare, grabbing the loading hook and pulling himself up to the broadcast platform, while his partner in crime, Zero, headed to the transport, where the masked vigilante untied the prisoners.

"People of Britannia!" boomed the midnight figure cloaked in blood. "Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. For we are the Black Knights!"

In the crowd, Kallen listened as intently as the rest, murmurs and hushed panic beginning to set in.

"Do not panic, for we of the Black Knights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield," the dark one continued in a powerfully charismatic voice. "Regardless of whether they be Elevens, or Britannians."

So Avenger announced, as a TV newscaster by the name of Diethard Reid took in every word, broadcasting them live to the nation-no, to the world.

"Today, we have saved two innocents from being condemned for crimes they did not commit, exposing the lies of those in power to the world," Avenger proceeded to elaborate, voice rising and falling in waves, with the destruction of the Britannian convoy as a silent testament to his power. "In Shinjuku, former Viceroy Clovis ordered the meaningless slaughter of countless unarmed Japanese, and in the name of justice, we could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out. So we slew him and brought his senseless killing to a halt, delivering vengeance for his crimes. In the same vein, we will not stand for the condemnation of innocents for acts done in our name."

He gestured to the ruins of the Knightmare frames before and behind him, at the bloody splatters where once proud men had stood.

"I, Avenger, will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong," he proclaimed, as his partner in crime climbed up beside him, with Ohgi and Tamaki standing behind. "Mark these words, Britannia: the only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed!"

And then Zero took the microphone, her harsh contralto a perfect complement to Avenger's baritone.

"Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again," C.C.'s voice carried to the crowd, "No matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be."

"Those of you with power, fear us," Avenger boomed.

Those of you without it, rally behind us," so Zero announced.

And then in unison:

"For we, the Black Knights, shall stand in judgment of this world!"


	7. Slices of Soliloquy

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Faded Memories**

In the fading light of the twilight sun, the Shadow stood tall upon a hill, her white dress flowing in the wind as she leaned upon her ebon scythe, golden eyes looking far into the distance—or perhaps into the past.

Behind her, a city burned, charred wood and clay accouterments to what remained of a fatal dream of man: a tower reaching for the sky to steal away the power of the gods. The sigil embossed upon its shattered doors – matching that upon her forehead – was now dark, no longer aglow with crimson light, proof that the connection to the collective unconscious has been shattered at last.

_I am the blade of the scythe that tends the harvest._

'_The Tower'_, its builders had called it, a testament to what had been reclaimed in the long millennia since the sinking of Atlantis, an event that had carved itself into the overmind of all humanity as a story of flood and deluge, divine punishment for mortal sin, as truth gave way to rumor, unreliable memory to fear and imagination, history to myth. _'The Tower of Babel.'_

'_Babel,' _a place of many tongues and many cultures, ruled over by the Golden King, a man who in hubris called himself the King of Heroes, a tyrant who sought to control even the power of Eden Vital, setting himself as ruler of all mankind past, present, future.

…_shadowed is my soul and geassed my heart…_

But in the end, the Reaper came, a ghost left over from the end of an age, and the city of Babel was razed to the ground, the fertile fields ringing its earthworks fed by the nourishment of fresh-spilled blood.

The twilight sun set at last, and a gentle breeze wafted across the ruined plain, as if to announce the end of yet another of the countless battles that the Shadow had fought in.

Standing upon the hill as the sole witness to a civilization's ruin, the Reaper in White felt no emotion, no twinge of anything within her lonely heart, having long forgotten human feelings, human sentiments—everything but the heavy burden of a contract that had been established and could not be withdrawn. For her, such scenes of carnage were almost ordinary, barely worth mentioning as she existed through the ages.

_..having walked through the ages untouched by time…_

Stab wounds, broken bones, bloody cuts, burns, heartbreak – the Reaper knew them all, and more, knew how to deal with the pain that came about because of them. One simply had to keep on moving, to disregard the prospect of future pain, throwing off attachments. Such was the price of victory, of pursuing an ideal to the end of time.

…_having fought to the hilt on countless fields of battle…_

From the moment she accepted the Code, she had no longer been no longer human. No longer aging, no longer fearing death, no longer tied to the dance of time, the Shadow was an immortal, linked with the collective mind of humanity itself. The girl who had been had her life turned around.

No, perhaps it was more correct to say her life ended.

At the instant she awakened as an immortal, the girl disappeared, and the only existence that remained to her was that of the Shadow, she who was the keeper of balance, humanity's protector. Someone who would not retreat no matter what disaster she might face, someone who could bring salvation to the weak and powerless. Someone who would not fear death, because she would have forgotten how to die.

…_knowing nothing of loss, even less of gain…_

But while a noble existence, it was a tired one. No matter who she saved, there are always those that perished. No matter how many conflicts she resolved, new struggles rose up—it was her fate to exist for as long as humanity remained alive, and so too, war. Kill one to save a hundred, kill ten to save a thousand certainly...but so many times, none could be saved.

Time and time again, the Shadow thought the fighting might at last come to an end, that humanity might realize its foolishness—but it was not to be. These things were but illusions, since peace was a lie...or so at least lasting peace.

She lived in a time of chaos and war, a time that began with the demise of an empire touched by gods, an empire believed to be indestructible, but had been torn apart by the hands of its own people.

…_always alone, knowing only desolation…_

Hundreds, no, thousands of years passed—only thing common to them all. Whether on a throne, on the street, in a hallway, or on the battlefield, no one talked to her.

She was always alone.

The protection of the Code worked only against death—it did not help to rule over human hearts, did not ease the hollowness of mere existence through the years. So the Reaper worked hard as a protector, living out the Geass she had taken, only to find that the more perfect she was, the more people kept away from her, the more people feared her as something inhuman.

She was betrayed and deceived many times, accused by those she saved. After giving her all to stop a conflict, to end a war, she was accused of being its cause and executed—though she could never truly die—atoning for her sins over and over again as she bore witness to the ugliness within mankind, the false courage and distortion that drove them into night.

Yet the Shadow kept on through the ages, knowing that even she would not live forever, that even immortals fade away in time.

A drawn blade, she might be, but no matter how durable a blade was, it would slowly wear away and turn at last to nothingness.

…_always running onwards towards an ever distant utopia…_

To an immortal, days were repetitions of one another, yet no two days were quite the same. No matter how trivial the differences might seem, all the coincidences built on one another, till a new whole was formed, a new pattern was discovered.

_'And perhaps another way will be found...one day soon.'_

So the Reaper in White dared to hope as she stood upon a hill, golden eyes looking far into the distance, as if to find a day in the uncertain future that bore no trace of battle…

…_in the endless and forever time, forgotten._

* * *

**Militarized Zone of Liaodong, Chinese Federation**

'_Oh? Someone is trying to kill humble Mao in this little game? Oooh…an assassin…working for a man named V.V.'_

Geass-red eyes hidden behind a purple visor, a white-haired man moved stiffly through a crowd, mind scanning the thoughts of passersby for key words like "assassinate", "C.C", "Eden Vital War", or "green hair." Searching, searching, searching he had been for hours, days, weeks, until he stilled, the word "Geass" triggering warning bells in his mind, causing him to focus on the presence of the would-be assassin pursuing him.

'_Ooh, a servant in the war, and he's working for someone who wants to hurt C.C.,' _he mentally summarized, a sadistic smile twisting his face. '_We can't have that now…C.C. belongs to me!'_

Even now, the Grey Witch's recorded words of comfort were playing softly in his ears, reminding him that he was worth something, that he wasn't alone, that everything would be alright. And he believed her words, because C.C. was his entire world.

Ever since C.C. disappeared from his life, Mao had searched for her, braving the dangers of the cities where teeming masses gathered, stretching his senses for even a small clue as to where she might be. While he couldn't sense his beloved C.C., he was hoping that someone might have seen her, and so had kept scanning for thoughts like "green hair" or "What kind of name is C.C.?", but alas, had had no luck. When he had dared broadened his search, spending more time in the crowds and risking true insanity from the overflow of words and voices and pointless babbling in his mind, he only discovered people's secrets.

In retaliation, he had revealed just a little – ok, a lot of dirty laundry, and looked on in amusement as the stupid humans offed themselves and each other, running around like idiots looking for who might have leaked the information as chaos erupted. Rivalries, buried feuds, suspicions, all these and more had sprung up like pus from lanced boils, the resulting destruction bringing blessed silence once more.

After the fifth or so town destroyed in this way, with Mao no further than before in his search for C.C., the mind-reader had gotten bored. More to the point, his mind was on the verge of collapse, and the white-haired man found that he needed time alone to keep himself from truly going insane.

But even then, Mao never stopped thinking about what he would do with C.C. when he found her, and had ended up building a villa in Australia, where the two could live happily ever after, away from the pesky people who didn't understand him, couldn't keep their minds politely closed.

'_Hmm…but to get to Australia, you'd need to take an airplane, and there isn't very much room. C.C. is a little too big to bring on a plane. O-o-ooh, but she's immortal, so I can just make her…compact.'_

He had worked to pass the time and hide his loneliness, whiling away the years with idle activity. Then a couple of weeks ago, while Mao was planning to head back to the Chinese Federation, everything had changed. A wave of power had surged through his head, and with it, the certain knowledge that C.C. was alive.

That was the beginning of the Eden Vital War, when he had become _Archer_, Independent Champion of Eden Vital.

'_I knew C.C. really loved me! She started this war so I could prove myself…and if I'll win we'll be together forever.'_

So Mao thought, believing that if he could be of use to C.C, that she would welcome him again with open arms, would tell him that she loved him and no other, that he could have his happily ever after.

"Thank you, Mao," the white-haired man could imagine her whispering in her ear, those golden eyes of hers aglow with inner fire as he embraced him in gratitude. "Mao, Mao."

Ah, how happy they would be…

'_But first I have to get rid of this pest,' _Mao thought, puffing out his chest and concentrating his power on the distant mind. '_I'm a prince on a white stallion, and a prince has to rescue the princess from churlish rogues...'_

For that, Mao would brave the depths of hell itself, doing whatever he had to in order to find his long-lost love once again. Because that was his wish, his only wish—though it crossed his mind that maybe he'd tell the World he wanted to be immortal to spend eternity with his beloved C.C.

Meanwhile, Rolo Haliburton, highly-skilled assassin and operative of the Geass Directorate, a boy who had been responsible for the deaths of many prominent figures in his time, was finding this particular mission more difficult than he thought it would be.

'_Master V.V. chose me to be his Champion in the Eden Vital War, his only champion, trusting me to win,' _the boy thought warmly, remembering how the eternally young immortal had given the assassin a choice of whether or not to join him. _'If I win, I can make a wish bound by the World's power, and Master V.V. will be proud of me for helping him gain a world free of lies.'_

Little did Assassin know that his master had already betrayed him by choosing a second Champion in the war, that V.V. secretly thought of Rolo as a mere tool to use up and toss aside like a dirty rag.

'_The Champions Saber and Archer are in the Chinese Federation,' _Rolo had been briefed, with his instructions being to identify them and eliminate, if at all possible, or to get word back to the Geass Directorate if not, so the Britannian SIS could do the rest. _'Once that is done, I will be able to go to Area 11 to take care of Rider and Berserker. But this mission is taking longer than usual, since in the capital, I am constantly surrounded by officials, and Archer…'_

Archer was making Rolo's job very difficult, as the man kept staying out of range of his Geass ability, taking care to walk through the most crowded parts of the city, where thousands of people congregated. According to his best calculations, it would take too long to try and reach the man, even with the _Ward of Absolute Suspension_ active, since the strain would be too much for his body to bear.

'_He's taunting me,'_ Rolo decided, the little boy fingering the gun hidden in his pocket. If he could get close enough, then—

"_Then what will you do, Assassin?"_ a mocking voice spoke as if next to him, identifying him by title.

Assassin frowned, eyes darting to and fro as he tried to identify the speaker. None really seemed likely so—

"_Giving up already?" _the voice spoke again, sneering at him. _"I would have expected something better from one who has killed so many other people."_

_Wha—?_

It was almost as if Archer were—

"—_reading your mind? Of course, but don't mind me, keep right on thinking—or be a tool, like you fear you are—"_

Assassin did a brief calculation then, and making a decision, activated his Geass, bringing out his knife as he carved his way through the crowd, clearing a path before him by shooting and slashing, a pain stabbed into his chest from the stress on his heart.

Closer, he came, closer, closer, closer, closer still and—

"_What a high body count just to get a humble little Mao," _ the voice taunted, as if rummaging in his mind, looking for information. "_Ooh…what's this fun ability? Phantasm World?"_

_No._

Assassin could not afford to let this battle go to that other world, not when it would mean that he'd collapse in the middle of the street. No. He needed to...he needed to..

"_**Warped Reflection"**_

The taunting voice echoed in his head once again, as the sigil of Geass blazed crimson before his eyes, and the world went white.

* * *

**Phantasm World – "Warped Reflection"**

'_Apparently, mental contact can be used to force someone into a Phantasm World, not just physical contact,'_ Assassin mused, as the disorientation of world-transition quickly faded, the Servant surveying his surroundings with a critical eye, only to come face to face with his reflection. Or perhaps it should be mask to mask, seeing as his Champion form was clad in a tattered black cloak akin to the wraps that puppeteers would wear, topped by a bone white skull mask that hid his face from view.

'_Mirrors._'

Reflective surfaces all around in every direction, stretching as far as the eye could see. This was certain to make things rather difficult for Assassin, since they would impede his speed of movement quite a bit, disorienting him quite a bit.

'_Though thankfully, Archer shouldn't be able to use his mind-reading abilities here, so if I can just catch a glimpse of him, I can use my Noble Phantasm, __**Zabaniya**_ – _**Delusional Heartbeat **__and kill him before he can strike_.'

He proceeded cautiously through the corridors, step step stepping forward when—

A delighted call of **"Black Barrel"** echoed ominously through the mirrored halls, as—

_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

Three low, thundering reports are heard, and all at once a trio of explosive bullets slammed into Assassin's upper chest, spinning him around and knocking him into the wall.

'_He can attack without even being seen? Or does he see me through one of the mirrors? Could some of them allow sight to pass through one way?'_

_Clink! Clink! Clink! Fsh!_

Assassin countered furiously by tossing daggers in each direction, watching as most of them simply hit a mirrored surface and stopped, though one traveled through to—

"_**Black Barrel!"**_ was heard again, and _BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! _ came another three shots.

_Thud!_

"Augh!" Assassin grunted, as he is thrown to the floor by the bullets impacting his arms and gut-and detonating there, blowing away his shoulder. "I see…not the weapon then, but the Noble Phantasm's ability. It must have remarkably low mana consumption to be used so—"

"HAHAHA! _**Black Barrel!"**_

"_Disengage," _Rolo spoke diffidently, activating his ability to flee combat, vanishing a moment before a final burst came through, immolating the area where he had been scant instants earlier.

"Aww…he escaped," Mao pouted, his body phasing through one of the reflective panes of glass. His appearance was almost unchanged from that in the outer world, as he wore light chain mail of pure unsullied white, cloaked with a mantle of midnight blue. And in his hands, the cursed gun known as the Black Barrel, a sinister-looking weapon wrought all of aphotic grey that was said to be able to kill spirits. But what made it look most threatening was—

_Whirr!_

—the rather intimidating chainsaw bayonet affixed below the barrel, which the Servant proceeded to rev in celebration of his victory.

"Oh well, time to head to Area 11," he said after a moment of fun with the chainsaw, "There should be more champions over there, and if I beat them all, I can have C.C. all for myself!"

With that, he too vanished, departing from the mirrored world as invisibly as he had come.

* * *

**Geass Directorate**

Within the underground temple complex that served as Britannia's foremost research laboratory on Geass, V.V sat before a thought elevator, deep in thought as he received word of Archer's identity and Rolo's attempt to kill him.

'_A pity…but if Archer is Mao, then I'm certain that he'll be able to find C.C. easily enough. In that case, I'll instruct Rolo to abandon the Chinese Federation for now to head to Area 11.'_

"Thank you for the report, Rolo," V.V. spoke aloud, the Thought Elevator carrying his words to the mind of his contractor, in answer to the report that his subordinate had filed mentally. "Against the Seal of Absolute Sound, you did as well as could be expected – as it seems that even C.C.'s former contractors can be troublesome. In any case, you are to follow Archer to Area 11, where you should have a better chance to apprehend him...and the one he wishes to serve."

The Code-bearer fell silent then, frowning as he contemplated the new developments in that particular territory of the Empire.

'_Zero and the Black Knights. Hmm…with the abilities Zero displayed, she is definitely a champion, though I am unsure about Avenger. In any case, both are beings to be taken care of before they cause the Empire too much damage for our plan to succeed. Rolo should be able to work wonders in that regard, at least.'_

"I fear that with the current situation, Earl Lloyd Asplund is now the ranking noble in the territory, and I would hate to see that scientist take note of our little Geass War," the eternally young immortal spoke aloud, the Thought Elevator carrying his words to his _other_ contractor, who sat on the throne of the Holy Britannian Empire. "Far better to have someone competent, such as Princess Cornelia."

"Of course, dear brother," the monarch's voice boomed. "As soon as her current duties are completed, we shall send her to Area 11, where she shall crush the rebel Zero as the strong shall trample over the weak, as we shall crush this world of lies!"

* * *

**A/N: **The stat sheets for Archer and Assassin are below! Thanks for reading, and remember, reviews are strongly appreciated! ^^

* * *

**Information on Servant Assassin**

Personal Information:

True Name: Rolo Haliburton  
Class: Assassin  
Champion of: V.V  
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Strength: C

Endurance: C

Agility: A

Luck: E

Mana (Phantasm World): C

Noble Phantasm: C

Details:

"This is the best and fastest method, right?" - Rolo Haliburton

Rolo Haliburton, a frequently used alias of this experimental Geass subject, is a highly skilled assassin, having killed many powerful figures during his life since receiving his Geass, the _**Ward of Absolute Suspension**_, at the age of six. His main assassination technique is the use of firearms at close range (in combination with his Geass), though he is also proficient with other weapons, including knives and poison. His real age and date of birth are unknown, though physical development places him at 14 to 16.

While Assassin appears to be very shy and withdrawn when under cover as a student, this exterior hides a ruthless and detached killer who will do whatever it takes to complete his mission. He tends to remain in the background and listen, gathering information about his target and surroundings before moving in for a fatal strike.

At the outbreak of the Eden Vital War, he was chosen by V.V. as one of his two Champions and dispatched to the Chinese Federation to hunt down Saber and Archer, with a secondary directive of locating the enigmatic C.C.

In combat in a Phantasm World, Assassin's main abilities are his stealth and his Noble Phantasm _**Zabaniya**_**,** allowing him to kill any opponent with mana below rank A in a single blow. His Innate Time Control ability also allows him to speed up or slow down time within himself for up to fifteen seconds at a time, though the longer it is used, the more damage results when the bounded field stops.

In his Champion form, Rolo is clad in tattered black robes and a white skull mask, using black throwing knives as his primary weapons.

Skills:

**Presence Concealment**: A+  
The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant. At this rank, it is possible to disappear completely and become almost impossible to be detected. However, efficacy will decrease once preparations to attack are taken.

**Riding**: B  
Ability to ride / pilot things or creatures. Assassin can ride most vehicles (including Knightmare Frames) with above average skill, though not the frames requiring nearly superhuman devicers.

**Disengage**: C  
The ability to break away from combat. This rank provides a bonus effect of returning battle conditions to what they were at the beginning of the match.

**Projectile (Daggers)**: B  
Expertise for throwing projectile weapons (in this case daggers). Thrown projectile weapons are now comparable to bullets

**Mind's Eye (True)**: C  
A "combat logic" that allows for calm analysis of the situation and the enemy's ability in spite of danger, and consideration of all possible actions in a particular situation.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Ward of Absolute Suspension**: This Geass allows one to suspend the subjective sense of time of everyone within a given range, with those under its effect frozen in place for the duration of activation. Its range is determined at activation, with an upper limit of 300m. Physical obstacles or electronic equipment do not hinder its effectiveness, nor does it require eye contact. The same people can be frozen repeatedly.

The primary weakness of Assassin's Geass is that his heart stops when he uses it, with the level of strain increasing with range and number of targets, which tends to limiting its activation to short bursts. Also, it is unable to stop inanimate objects or physical phenomena such as speed and momentum.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Dark (Anti-unit): **D  
Assassin's weapon of choice – a jet-black dagger made to be thrown. Assassin possesses a near limitless stock of these.

**Innate Time Control**: C  
An innate bounded field limited to Assassin, allowing him to regulate time within the field - that is, speeding up (accel) or slowing down (stagnate) his own body. At this level, it can only be used for a few seconds at a time at most. However, this results in inconsistencies between the flow of time inside and outside the field. In other words, when the field wears off, this inconsistency will be forcefully corrected by the world, damaging Assassin physically every time Innate Time Control is used, with death a very real possibility if overused.

**Zabaniya (Anti-unit)**: C  
Delusional Heartbeat is the arm of an evil spirit, cursed with the ability to create a mirror image of the heart of the assassination target from mana alone, a dual existence that resonates with the original one. By crushing the fake heart, Assassin can crush the real one with this curse without laying a finger on it. As he is really crushing a fake heart, any physical defense is meaningless. To resist the curse, it is not endurance that matters, but the magical power (mana) to prevent him from creating the dual existence at all.

* * *

**Information on Servant Archer**

Personal Information:

True Name: Mao  
Class: Archer  
Independent Champion of Eden Vital  
Alignment: Chaotic Insane (ok, fine, C.C. obsessed)

Strength: D

Endurance: C

Agility: C

Luck: D

Mana (Phantasm World): A

Noble Phantasm: B+

Details:

"C.C., you're the only one, the only one I want forever!" – Mao

A textbook example of how obsession can destroy a person's life, Mao is a man who has only one wish: to possess C.C., who he fixed upon early in his life as a mother/sister/lover figure. But a six-year-old orphan when he first entered into a contract with C.C., the Geass that he received made him distance himself from other people – so that he knows nothing of normal human emotions (at least as it relates to him – Mao is quite adept at manipulating others by using their emotions, having destroyed several towns and villages through the revelation of…inconvenient truths).

A rather childish and sadistic individual, he lost control of his Geass and refused to help C.C. fulfill her wish, resulting in the belief that she had abandoned him when she eventually disappeared, drawn into the intrigues of V.V. and Charles. Unfortunately, the Code-bearer did not have time to eliminate the man before he went insane, so he remained alive and dangerous at the beginning of the Eden Vital War, where, due to his prior contact with C.C., Eden Vital selected him as Servant Archer, an Independent Champion.

Mao is determined to do whatever it takes to be reunited with C.C., as that is his only wish, and such, combined with his _**Seal of Absolute Sound**_, makes him an exceedingly dangerous opponent. His Phantasm World **"Warped Reflection" **is similarly deadly, as it is a great three dimensional maze of mirrors, with some serving as warp points from one part of the map to another, and some only illusions through which one can pass.

Skills:

**Battle Continuation**: B  
Does not give up easily / the ability to stay alive. It allows for battle even on the verge of death, and allows the user to stay alive until he receives a clearly fatal blow.

**Disengage**: D  
The ability to break away from combat.

**Clairvoyance**: B  
Allows clear vision of distant targets, and improves body movement and reaction time. This rank (in Phantasm World) allows Archer to see through objects

**Mental Pollution**: A  
Due possessing a distorted mentality, it is possible for Archer to shut out any mental interference not caused by his Geass (i.e. a Code-bearer's mental assault). However, at the same time it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to come to an understanding with individuals that do not possess an equivalent rank of mental pollution.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Seal of Absolute Sound**: This Geass allows the user to telepathically hear the conscious thoughts of anyone within a 500 meter radius, dig through a persons memories, and communicate mind to mind. Eve contact is not needed, and aside from Code-bearers, there are no restrictions as to its use. Archer can concentrate on a specific target to probe deeper into their thoughts and memories, but this decreases his effective range. Due to overuse, Archer's Geass is permanently active, forcing him to listen to the thoughts of all those around him constantly. He masks his constantly-lit Geass sigils with sunglasses and wears headphones that play recorded words of comfort from C.C. to drown out the sounds.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Black Barrel **(anti-unit): B+  
Called 'a gun that kills gods', the Black Barrel is a crystallization of the concept of fated death, capable of penetrating any defense. When it's true name is invoked, causality is reversed so that the shot will hit the target, regardless of any attempt to evade, or the path the strike must follow to reach its target. Agility is meaningless in avoiding this ability; the only defense is a high degree of luck, which alters fate ahead of time. Otherwise, bullets simply home in on the target for as long as one is aiming at it.

**Black Barrel **(anti-fortress): B+  
This technique utilizes the full potential of Black Barrel's power of destruction, converting mana into energy and releasing the accumulated power in one massive blast. In contrast to the anti-unit property, this is far less accurate, but puts a greater emphasis on raw power and a wider area of impact, similar in concept to an airstrike.


	8. Dissonant Refrains

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

Ever since the events of the week before, when Zero and Avenger had stunned the world with their epic defiance of Britannia's power, the morale of the Britannian leadership of Area 11 had plummeted, with a great many officials-especially those who had been involved in some shady dealings-trying to request reassignment from the territory out of fear for their lives.

While the concept of masked vigilantes running around posing as heroes of justice would have ordinarily been mildly humorous, just as terrorists were normally only a nuisance to Britannia, the Black Knights were a different story. The events of the "Zero Intervention", as the incident was being called, were quite literally terrifying, what with Zero admitting to the killing of Clovis, before not only stopping hundreds of rounds of _**anti-Knightmare**_ _**ammunition**_ in mid-air, but sending those very bullets to annihilate with surgical precision those who had fired them: the elite units of the Britannian Army present _and_ the acting-viceroy.

After that sort of demonstration, it was hard not to be terrified, particularly when one fell squarely into the categories that Zero had sworn vengeance against. For while a masked vigilante was nothing but a joke, a masked vigilante that could singlehandedly wipe out squads of Knightmares without even touching them, who the strongest of weapons could not kill, was anything but.

All at once, the vast number of nobles, traitors, and conspirators who had desired the seat of Governor General had changed their minds, noting that the last two rulers of Area 11 had met quite untimely ends at Zero's hands, and sensibly deducing that they too would likely have a life-expectancy measured in days, if not hours, were one of them to claim the role. Fear had a way of making one rethink one's life plans, after all, especially when one considered how little one might actually have to gain after many machinations.

With no one willing to step forward and take up the mantle of leadership, the title of Governor-General had fallen to none other than Earl Lloyd Asplund, an eccentric scientist who wanted nothing more than to avoid politics and stay in his lab designing Knightmare.

Still…

"Your Excellency, is the pudding acceptable?"

…the position had its perks, such as cooking that was better than the onigiri mixed with blueberry jam, sandwiches made with ginger, sugar, and wasabi, and other similarly…tasty items made by his assistant Cécile Croomy. Though the Earl did have to admit that the throngs of pandering yesmen and the sheer volume of paperwork was quite a nuisance.

'_Frankly, I don't understand why anyone would want this job in the first place…'_

Well…maybe he could understand a bit, since he had diverted a massive amount of funding that would have gone into building extravagant complexes for public use (like Clovisland, among others) into his research organization, _Camelot_, to help with developments for the next generation of Knightmares, like his precious Lancelot.

"_Hehehe," _the man chuckled giddily, thrilled with the thought of not having to ask anyone else for funding. Then his expression soured, as the scientist recalled how little time he'd been able to spend in his research laboratory, forced to relegate working on a prototype float system for the now-repaired White Knightmare to a second priority, handing most of the responsibility to Cecile.

"Your Excellency?"

But there was a minor problem, of course. Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi, the devicer who had had the best ratings with the Lancelot, was currently in the hospital after a mental breakdown which left him in a coma. It was…uncertain, at best, if or when the man would wake up.

'_And the devicer is the most critical component of the Knightmare. Hmm…I suppose I could have Cecile pilot it, but she'll never match the 94% efficiency that Kururugi displayed…hmm…'_

"Your Excellency, are you paying attention?" the voice cut in, more sharply this time, prompting the scientist to look up in exasperation, only to return to his thoughts, uninterested.

"Oh, it's only you," he said in a bored tone of voice. "What do you want?"

"Your Excellency, are you serious about recalling all production-model Sutherlands from the field, and reactivating the old Glasgows?" some stuffy military officer or other sputtered, annoyed. "If you go through with this, our ability to deploy against the resistance groups will be severely compromised."

"Bah!" Earl Asplund scoffed, waving away the comment with a measure of disdain. "You still have plenty of retired Glasgows that the Knight Police haven't taken, and you can refit those with a Sutherland's weapons, can't you?"

"But Your Excellency, Glasgows are—"

"As obsolete as Sutherlands against the Black Knights…or should I say…Zero," the Earl pointed out, smiling with malicious glee as he saw discomfort spread on the officer's face.

"Your Excellency, you can't really believe that Ze—"

"You saw the broadcast," the Governor-General drawled out, a tad bemused. Then he shrugged. "If she can stop bullets, your precious Sutherlands are doomed anyway."

"But it's not Zero we're worried about…ever since that day a week ago, other resistance groups throughout Area 11 have been—"

"They don't have Knightmares, do they?"

A rather good question to ask, considering the circumstances…and a direct hit, seeing as an almost stricken expression made its way across the officer's face, one that seemed to say _'Why, oh, why did I volunteer to try and talk the Governor General out of his crazy idea?'_ It was a face Lloyd had seen many times before, usually when one general or another was about to bang his head against the wall in frustration at dealing with him, one he secretly enjoyed seeing.

"No, Your Excellency," the military officer replied from between clenched teeth, slowly breathing in and out in a futile attempt to ward off an oncoming headache. "But they likely have anti-Knightma—"

"Bah! An electromagnetic shrapnel cannon would kill a Sutherland just as easily as a Glasgow," Earl Asplund cut in, dismissing the complaint as the utter whining that it was. After all, the Earl of Pudding was a master of the art of whining, and so knew better than anyone else when whining actually had merit. This wasn't one of those times. "Besides, Princess Cornelia is scheduled to arrive with her Glaston Knights in a few days. Now, go off and play with your toys, sir Knight. Fire those pew pew lasers."

Suppressing the urge to choke the eccentric Governor General and earn himself a court-martial, the military officer just bowed stiffly, as was expected of him, then stalked out of the office, storming past a startled Cecile Croomy, who entered a few moments later. She, Lloyd would see without question.

"Are we really going through with this?" the Governor General's onetime aide asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Fukushima, Kouchi, Hiroshima. This has been the seventh occurrence of terrorist activity since the Zero Intervention."

"It seems the other groups are following Zero's lead and putting up a valiant fight," the Earl commented, curious about one piece of information he had learned. "And it seems that they have tried to limit civilian casualties…probably out of fear of the Black Knights."

"Well, considering that did kill off Margrave Jeremiah and wipe out his command without Knightmares, its not completely unwarranted," Cecile replied, sighing and offering Lloyd one of her notorious blueberry jam onigiri. Wisely, the man refused, claiming to have already eaten.

"Oh well...maybe he wasn't good enough of a leader," Lloyd answered with a shrug. "Lack of thinking leads to death, you know? And thanks to him, connections between the police and the administration are screwed up. A fine mess for me...and for you as well."

His lips twisting into a grimace, the Earl of Pudding shook his head.

He hadn't wanted the job in the first place, but if he had to do it…

"And you still intend to refit the Sutherlands?" Cecile asked in confirmation, suppressing her eagerness at a chance to work on more Knightmares. "With what modifications?"

"Of course," the Earl of Pudding responded, completely serious about his _true_ vocation. "We need data to tune the Lancelot's technology, but didn't get nearly enough in Shinjuku, and we don't have a devicer to give us more. So we just have to modify some Sutherlands to make up for it, using your personal unit as the template."

"Hmm…you mean the Sutherland Air variant?" Cecile asked, slightly annoyed at Lloyd's callous nature. Then she sighed, shaking her head…it wasn't as if this was anything new. "And do you have to make it sound like Suzaku isn't coming back?"

"Yes, that's right, with the Blaze Luminous and the Harken Boosters," the Earl confirmed. "Since Sutherlands don't need an impossibly high level devicer, we can get plenty of data from them. Besides, if those Knights of Justice really do make a move, we'll need something like them, won't we?"

As usual, the Governor-General did have a point, though it was heavily cloaked behind his willful attitude of doing things for the sake of experimenting. If Sutherlands were to be modified, upgraded with Blaze Luminous and Harken Boosters…they could make the standing force in Area 11 much more powerful in the long run, in exchange for a short term drop in Britannia's force projection abilities.

"So will you be coming back to Camelot for this?"

There was a deep, meaningful sigh, followed by a moment of silence, as Lloyd snorted.

"They have me bogged up to my ears in paperwork, so I'll leave everything at Camelot to you," the mad scientist said, light glinting off his glasses as he smiled ruefully. "I'm sure you already know well enough how I do things, right? We've been acquaintances for how many years now, since meeting in the university laboratory."

His former aide looked surprised that the Earl would refrain from meddling.

"That, well…" Cecile trailed off, not knowing entirely what to say. "It's been an unnecessarily long time, to be sure."

"Heh, but you, you... actually like it, don't you?" Lloyd said slyly, looking sidelong at his one-time assistant as her eyes flew open, stunned.

"Eh?ǃ L-like what?" the blunette stuttered, thinking that the man was not as dense as he let on. "I don't really..."

"The research, of course. Oh, I understand, I truly understand—since we can do whatever we like here," the Earl of Pudding agreed, trying to defuse the situation. Apparently, he failed, as Cecile was now glaring at him for all she was worth. "Oh, what's wrong? You look as though you're trying to figure out the wave equation again."

A moment of silence as the two looked at each other, apparently having been talking at cross purposes. Then Cecile sighed, knowing that it wasn't entirely Lloyd's fault he was so bad with social graces.

"I…it's nothing," she answered, averting her eyes to look instead at a grand painting in the office, a scene of the young royals at Aries Imperial Villa from years ago. "So then, all the general affairs for Camelot will be handled by me? Is that okay?"

"I leave it to you," the man relied, not without a touch of regret. She was, after all, the only one he could trust to do a reasonable job designing these new updates.

"And what about Code-R?" Cecile asked, eyes flicking to the computer on the desk. "Do you think it's related to Zero's power, somehow?"

At this, Lloyd grew giddy again, a twisted little smile crossing his face. That was the other perk of being Governor General – free access to the computer system…including to the records that Clovis and Bartley had not been able to wipe before their deaths.

"Ah, what the failure was working on, what the news claimed was poison gas?" Lloyd asked with a touch of amusement. "It _was_ suspicious how they were so eager to eradicate the entire ghetto instead of just retrieving it. I wonder if whatever it was did in the Lancelot?"

"Did you manage to find anything?"

"Well, I've found some files with dates and references to something about immortality and human experimentation," the scientist admitted, pursing his lips. "Care to have a look?"

"I'd be delighted."

**

* * *

**

**Mobile Command Center, Order of Black Knights**

In Zero's personal quarters in the vehicle that served as the current headquarters of the Black Knights, C.C. and Avenger sat working, dressed in their elaborate costumes while taking care of the administrative part of running a large organization. While they were still small enough that delegating too much wasn't necessary—not that delegating to Tamaki hadn't been tried, with C.C. swearing never to do it again—it would still be useful to plan for the future, so that the Knights did not become too reliant on any one of them.

Thus far, a couple of positions had been assigned, with Tamaki being appointed Interior Cleaning Supporter and Pizza Supplier, making sure there was always a stock of pizza left in the kitchen for Zero's consumption. As for Ohgi, the two (and Kallen) had agreed that he was more useful as a trainer and contact person, as the man himself had admitted to being uncomfortable as a leader, yet had been a credible member of the resistance for a long time. Combined with the fact that his history as a teacher made him good at explaining things to others, he would serve well as a liaison and ambassador to the other groups.

In her long existence, there were many things that the immortal C.C. enjoyed, some that made her weep, and some that she just flat out refused to do. Staring her in the face was something from the last category, something that the green-haired witch despised with all her being: paperwork, not exactly what she'd had in mind when she'd become Zero.

'_Far better for V.V. to think I am a Champion than a Code-bearer, since at least it will draw suspicion off of Avenger…'_

The intervention had been a gamble, to be sure, but it had turned out well, the demonstration sending shockwaves through the Britannian homeland until at last the news networks had been warned not to go over the incident any longer.

'_Which means it's having an effect, and that one of V.V.'s champions should soon be on his way…'_

"Here," the Code-bearer said without preamble, shifting the stack of papers over to where Avenger sat, analyzing recent developments around the country and searching for names suspected of criminal activity. "That's the last of it, for now…"

"You're worse than Milly sometimes," Lelouch grumbled under his breath as he took the documents and looked over them, reviewing a list of prospective members for the Black Knights that he had obtained from Ohgi and Tamaki, as well as a number of other contacts that had sprung up after the Intervention. Some had been vetted, some dismissed, and oth—

'_Sayoko Shinozaki. 37th successor of the Shinozaki School. Currently employed as a maid at Ashford—'_

Reading that line, Lelouch blinked, and then looked it over again, to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

'_My…maid is a terrorist? And the heir to a school of martial arts? That would imply that she is quite skilled…'_

"C.C., what do you think about this?" the Champion asked, wanting a second opinion. He himself was of mixed feelings about this: on one hand, it would make hiding the truth from her more difficult. On the other, if she truly were a skilled practitioner of ninjutsu, then she would be a valuable agent, possibly as a spy, since Britannians tended to underestimate domestic workers.

'_After all, when one is used to being in power, why bother worrying about the help?'_

Indeed, many of the Black Knights' tipoffs of locations to raid, illicit meeting of nobles and criminals, or deals that meant ill for the public came from the household staff of corrupt nobles. Here the Britannian value of only respecting strength backfired, as feigned submission was a tactic often employed by those without power in order to strike at those with it.

"Oh? So your maid is a skilled ninja, is she?" the Grey Witch replied, slightly amused by this development. "I always thought she was more than she seemed. We'll take her."

At this, Lelouch raised both eyebrows.

"…that was certainly fast," the Servant remarked, surprised that the immortal would simply accept her like that. "Why do you say so?"

"The 18 Arts of Ninjutsu include hand to hand combat, weapons training, training with explosives, the art of disguise and impersonation, stealth, underwater operation, tactics, espionage…shall I go on?" Zero answered indirectly, leaning back from the work. "Her skills would thus be quite useful to us, would they not?"

"Well…it would certainly be nice to have a body double," Avenger conceded, though he was still somewhat dissatisfied. "However…"

"You're miffed that she's been keeping secrets from you?" C.C. teased gently. "You, the prince of lies?"

"I don't want to hear that from the greatest lie of them all," the Servant retorted. "Even 'C.C.' is probably a lie, as that's not a human name."

"Who says I'm human?" the immortal countered, taking off her mask so as to look the boy in the eye. "People die when they are killed—but I don't. I am neither known to life, nor known to death – and though I've created and destroyed weapons, empires, champions, my hands will never hold anything."

"So what do you live for?"

"Let me ask you, Lelouch, is an endless aggregation of time not dying, 'life?' Or is it merely experience?" the Witch asked in turn, examining her Servant critically. "For that matter, Lelouch, why are you Lelouch?"

The prince frowns, shaking his head as he looks back at the work.

"I don't have time to discuss philosophy with you," Lelouch said, with a sigh.

"It's not quite philosophy, only an observation," C.C. corrected, an enigmatic _something_ in her smile. "You changed your family name to Lamperouge, but you left your first name as Lelouch—unable to give up the past."

"As you gave up your past?" Lelouch questioned, tilting his head.

"Gave up the past? No, not at all. Tell me Lelouch, do you know why snow is white?" the witch asked, looking off as if into the hazy distance.

"Hm?"

"It's because it's forgotten what color it's supposed to be," the Grey Witch said with a certain sense of finality and weariness.

After a moment, Avenger speaks, unusually gentle as he smiles softly at the immortal who had given him his power.

"…I don't know why snow is white, C.C," the champion said, reaching across the table to squeeze one of the witch's hands. "But I don't hate it."

The immortal blinked once, momentarily surprised, but quickly recovered.

"Just so you know," she whispered conspiratorially, reaching up to touch his cheek, leaning over the table to speak into his ear. "I'm a few thousand years too old for you…boy."

_Thud!_

That was the sound of Lelouch falling over in shock, as the immortal simply laughed.

* * *

**Area 18**

The wind howled furiously above the sand swept dunes of what had been the Middle Eastern Federation, where the last of its forces had fallen to the Gloucesters of the Glaston Knights, the elite squad of lance using Knightmare Frames commanded by Princess Cornelia li Britannia and her personal knight Gilbert G.P. Guilford. With that, the war between the MEF and the Holy Britannian Empire had drawn to an end, and soon, the territory would be renamed Area 18.

"They would've been wise to surrender from the start," murmured Guilford, the man known as the 'Spearhead of the Empire.' He disliked causing more casualties than was necessary, though he was willing to do as he must for the sake of Britannia and the princess that he served. For in the end, he was a Knight, sworn to the code of chivalry…

Though as Guilford led the Glaston Knights towards the extraction point they had been given, he did have to wonder why the Empire had been so interested in acquiring this newest piece of territory, as there was little of worth here. Granted, there was some oil deep beneath the sands, but what use was that when most of the world's technology ran off of Sakuradite?

Truly, it was something strange, almost as if—

_WHOOSH! Rumble-CRACK! _

—with a roar, the ground beneath his Gloucester shook, with grains of sand vibrating slowly, then faster, faster, leaping into the air and wafting upwards in a vortex around his Knightmare Frame. But after a few seconds, the sand shifted away, as if repulsed by something, and all at once his Knightmare ground to a halt on top of a now-exposed stone slab, engraved with a shining crimson sigil.

'_What in the world…?'_

A cave-in, and everything went black.

* * *

**Sword of Akasha**

When the commander of the Glaston Knights awoke, Gilbert G.P. Guilford found himself in a place unlike any on earth. His Knightmare was nowhere to be seen, and he stood alone within what seemed a Grecian temple complex floating in the sky.

'_Where…am I?'_

Then he staggered, as all at once, his mind blazed white with images of medieval knights upon their warhorses, riding to the joust with lances raised, and abruptly, his appearance shifted, his maroon and gold uniform replaced by a sleeveless black and teal leather bodysuit, complemented by black vambraces of the same.

In his hands the Knight held two long spears, one wrought of gold and the other of what seemed frozen blood, and as he stood in the temple, the knowledge of how these weapons were used, their names and history, his _name_ poured into his mind.

'_Lancer.'_

"What are you doing here, Servant Lancer?" a voice spoke from behind, and Guilford whirled about, spears in hand, only to face…nothing at first, until he looked down.

There stood what appeared to be a 10-year-old boy with blond hair longer than his body, clad in the whites and purples that denoted a member of the royal family. And yet…

'…_he does not resemble any of the princes I am aware of…'_

Something was off about this child, who frowned at the Knight, as if he were not supposed to be there.

"Ah, I see…you discovered the Thought Elevator in Area 18," the child murmured, purple eyes narrowing as they studied the Servant. "So…that makes five known to me…five of the seven…"

V.V. looked around slowly, to make sure no other servants—or the Code-bearer C.C. had appeared to ambush him, and then with flick of his hand, gave an order:

"Now, leave."

The crimson sigil of geass erupted into existence once more, and Lancer was banished back the mortal world, leaving V.V. amused at the fact that he would soon be headed to Area 11 as well.

'_It appears that the Far Eastern land shall be the new battlefield of this Eden Vital War…'_

* * *

**Tokyo Settlement**

It was a rare occurrence for Kallen Kozuki to be out and about in the streets of the Tokyo Settlement, and even rarer still that she would be enjoying herself. But enjoying herself she was, since the haughty atmosphere of the Britannians had been replaced by a sense of uncertainty, and the Japanese people's reluctant acceptance of their fate replaced with hope for change. Even now, as she walked down the street, Kallen could see children posing and playing at heroics, playing "Black Knights and Villains", the latest iteration to the age old "Cops and Robbers" of old. It was a sign that long established truths were about to change, and that the illusion of submission had not been printed quite as deeply on the Japanese people as their conquerors thought.

And to her satisfaction, Kallen was at the center of this, having been the first of the Black Knights (after Avenger and Zero, of course), though she knew that it was a dangerous game she played. Zero had explained to her that she and Rider were not the only ones with such powers…that some of Britannia's most powerful individuals also had this power, and that to truly defeat Britannia, the other "Champions" must be defeated.

'_This power will allow you to grant your wish,' _Zero had said, while the two were sparring to improve Kallen's hand to hand technique. '_But_ _it has a price as well – while living in the world of humans, you will know a different fate, a different time, a different life…are you prepared?'_

"But I already live a different life," the redhead muttered, thinking about the plans she had for the night—leading a raid on a warehouse where some Britannians were distributing the insidious drug Refrain to the Japanese, a drug that trapped people in memories of the past. "Damn Britannians, I wish the—"

"Out of the way, please. Look out below!" came a voice from above, as Kallen looked up to see a pink-haired girl plummeting feet first, having leapt from a high window in a several stories high building.

'_Trace on!'_

Instantly, Rider's Geass of Absolute Refraction activated, her eyes tracking the girl and altering her trajectory so that the falling girl came down slowly enough not to get hurt—falling right into Rider's outstretched arms, where she was caught.

'_It is the duty of the Black Knights to protect the powerless, after all.'_

"Oh!" the girl yelped on impact, though thankfully it seemed that nothing was broken.

"Are you alright, miss?" Kallen asked demurely, looking around to make sure no one that knew her was in the area, as the incident just now might have blown her cover. _'I really need to stop acting before I think, but in this case, I had no choice.'_

Then the pink-haired girl looked up, revealing soft blue eyes that looked into icy blue of Kallen's.

'_So…she's a Britannian…'_

"I'm sorry," the other girl said shyly, a little flustered by the close encounter. "I wasn't aware you were down here until I had leapt."

At that, Rider had to hide a smile, as the girl she had saved seemed to be a mirror to herself, at least where leaping before looking was concerned – though in this case, quite literally.

"I wasn't exactly expecting a girl to come falling out of the sky either," Kallen joked, even as she surveyed her surroundings and looked up. A bedsheet hung from the window from which the girl had jumped. And if the girl had been so desperate to get away from the building as to jump out of a window, then… "Is something wrong?"

" Yes! There is something wrong," the other girl blurted out all in a rush. "The truth is bad guys are chasing me. So considering the circumstances could you help me, please?"

Shifting into her 'Black Knight mode', Kallen nodded, helping the girl to her feet

"Of course," the redhead replied professionally, leading the pink-haired princess away as quickly as possible while walking casually, so as not to attract a lot of attention.

They walked in silence for a time, managing to get away from the block where they had been, with Kallen's footsteps unconsciously leading the two towards the Shinjuku Ghetto.

"We haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we?" the pink-haired girl spoke up after some time. "My name is... Euphie."

'_She hesitated, and no last name, though that's understandable if she's really in trouble. An alias then? A nickname? Ah well, at least its more realistic than "Zero," though I have to admit, Avenger's master certainly has a sense of style. Choosing that number to defy the system of Numbers...'_

"My name's Kallen," Rider replied, her face friendly and relaxed to keep the other girl from panicking. "Kallen Stadtfeld."

While she hated the last name of her Britannian family, it was one she had learned to use as easily as the other, just as she had learned to act, with her life a lie.

'_Speaking of lies…'_

Kallen noted idly that there were no pursuers, and had the 'bad people' chasing Euphie (if they really existed) been any good at their roles, she should have seen some sign of them. The fact that she hadn't suggested that…

"There's…no one chasing you, is there?" the redhead asked tranquilly, trying to make it seem like she didn't care all that much, when really, she resented the waste of her time.

"Meow!"

But when the Black Knight looked to where the girl had been standing, she saw that Euphie was now crouching on the ground, playing with a black cat of all things.

"Meow meow," the Britannian meowed cutely, as if she could speak the language of cats. "Aww, does the kitty's paw hurt? Oh, meow meow meow!"

To which the kitten replied "Meow? Meow!"

Euphie and the cat (who Kallen dubbed "Lelouch" in her mind, after a certain preening, self-satisfied Vice-President who had reacted…territorially when confronted about his identity) continued their "conversation" for a while, before the cat allowed the pink-haired girl to pick it up.

"Do you like cats?" Kallen asked, as the other girl approached her, cat in her arms. Gingerly, she reached out and pet it on the head, smiling as "Lelouch" purred. _'Yes, I'm sure _he'd_ love someone to pet him too. Probably Shirley...'_

A tiny smile crept across her face as she remembered how Shirley had "gently pet" Lelouch some time ago, with wild flailing the blows to the head.

"Yes," Euphie replied, smiling that gentle smile of hers. "I do…it's just that I've never had the chance to raise one."

"Maybe you should take this one home with you," the redhead joked, though her face softened a moment later as she considered her words. "After all, it needs a place to belong."

Rider found herself forced to stop as Euphie quickwalked in front of her and turned to study the champion's face.

"You're…a kind person, aren't you?"

"Heh, not as kind as you think," Kallen replied, still being perfectly honest. "But something bothers me, Euphie…why did you tell me that lie when we first met?"

'_Would you still think me kind if you knew I was a Black Knight?'_

An almost sly quality crept into the other girl's voice as she responded, almost as if she were flirting.

'_Nah, she's probably just lonely from being cooped up in her building all the time.'_

"Would you mind…accompanying me some more?" the girl said, dodging the question.

"I guess that would be alright," Kallen answered, since she wasn't really doing anything at the moment anyway.

'_Then…maybe I can get some answers…'_

The time that followed was pretty much what an outing between schoolgirl friends would have been: window shopping, drinks at a café, a bit of cake, eating a crepe or two…generally hanging out.

During that time, they talked about their lives, with Kallen discovering that Euphie was from the Britannian homeland, where she had been a student up until last week.

"So you decided to come to Area 11 after Zero appeared?" the redhead asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're one of her secret fangirls...or Avenger's?"

"Oh no," Euphie blushed, looking away, though a moment later she turned back, and slyly said. "Why? Jealous?"

It was all Kallen could do not to burst out laughing, something she covered up (not particularly well) by pretending to cough lightly.

'_I don't think jealous covers what I feel about Avenger's Master…maybe wary respect and trepidation? And Avenger...well...'_

"So what brings you here?" the redhead asked, once her "coughing fit" had ended. "And why leap out a window? I mean, as a student, you can go sightseeing anytime, can't you?"

"You see…" Euphie began, "Today is the last day of my vacation, and I wanted to see as much of Area 11 as I could because I'd like to know what kind of place it is."

"And what about the ghetto?" Kallen asked with a tinge of sarcasm, noting that they'd stayed within the Britannian settlement thus far.

'_Like a Britannian would have any interest in how the Japanese are forced to live…'_

"Yes, please escort me there, Kallen," the pink-haired girl said, causing the redhead to freeze in place. "You know, I'm glad that I came out today—I'm glad that I made my first friend in Area 11."

"Is that right?" the Black Knight murmured considering, and with a sigh, pointed her acquaintance in the direction of Shinjuku, a place that had personal significance to her, not only a symbol of what Britannia had done to her homeland, but also as the place where the resistance had first had hope for victory.

The two navigated the ruins, looking quietly at the many shrines and memorials left to those who had died there, feeling many mingled emotions. For Kallen especially, it made her uncomfortable, as the sight reminded of her many failures, for all the people she had been unable to save, and the scent of death remained in the air like a heavy fog.

'_Hmm…kind of like Avenger himself, now that I think about it. Maybe that's why he feels so…wrong…to me. Because he embodies all these failings, these grievances that man has ever had for man...'_

"The Shinjuku Ghetto," Kallen murmured, saying a quiet prayer for the dead. "Ruined again…it's a shame that so many died as the residents were starting to return."

It was then that a pack of noisy Britannian students began to make trouble in an area close to them, commenting about different methods that the Army had used to deal out death on the Elevens, and Kallen found that she could take no more. Not here. Not on this ground where so many had died, and where hope had been born.

Before she could stop herself, she found that she was already moving, heading up to confront the trio of disrespectful idiots.

"You shouldn't talk about people like that," Kallen said, an edge to her voice as her anger threatened to boil over. "You know, how would you like it if someone disrespected your family's graves like that?"

"Aww, what's the big deal?" one of the students spoke, callous as a typical Britannian tended to be. "They're only Elevens. They lost, so they're nothing more than beaten dogs!"

"…and what about Zero?" Kallen muttered under her breath, just loud enough for the others to hear, the group of students stunned for a moment at the mention of the name, looking around as if to ward off evil. "You saw what she did to those Knightmares…"

"Zero? That filthy terrorist who murdered Prince Clovis?" one of the students answered, scoffing. "Why should she care about a beaten people and try to save a pair of terrorists? I mean, really, what's a few dead Elevens?"

_Clip! Clip! Clip! Clip!_

Footsteps resounded as a pink-haired girl came up the stairs, walking over to the boy who was speaking.

_Crack!_

A resounding slap echoed like a gunshot through the clearing, leaving all present stunned.

"I will not allow you to insult the dead any longer, you oaf," the pink-haired girl said imperiously, in a tone used to being obeyed. She was glaring daggers at the boy, looking almost as angry as Kallen felt. "I suggest you leave at once."

"Yeah, and who are you to tell us to do anything?" another scoffed, obviously not intimidated by the admonition of a girl.

Then the girl drew herself up, and in a ringing tone declared fourteen words that shook all present to the core.

"I am Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Empire, Sub-viceroy of Area 11."

Those present (Kallen included) staggered.

'_Wh..at? The sub-viceroy? I was spending my day with the Britannian sub-viceroy?'_ Kallen thought to herself, eyes wide at the realization. _'By all rights…no, Zero was firm about the Black Knights helping the weak, and protecting the innocent. And she hasn't had a chance to do anything yet…maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt.'_

Silently, the Britannian troublemakers left, leaving Princess Euphemia and Kallen Kozuki alone within that clearing in Shinjuku.

"You know…when I was ten," Kallen said, breaking the silence as she looked into the distance. "The world seemed like such a sad place, without hope. The strong oppressing the weak in a world of starvation, disease, filth, decay, racism, war and violence. A never-ending cycle of hate."

"And now?" Euphemia asked quietly, knowing that the revelation must have been a shock, though she had no way of knowing just how much of one.

"I think that it's impossible to make _all_ those bad things go away…but I also think the cycle can be broken," Kallen replied, thinking about the power that had been given to her as Servant Rider, and how she might be able to use it to change Britannia.

"Oh? How would you do it?" Euphemia pressed, curious as to the redhead's views.

"I don't know," Kallen admitted, looking unusually grave. "As a Britannian, I hate to admit it, but I think the only one who might…is Zero."

* * *

**Boundary Wall, Tokyo Settlement**

It was sad how quickly a person could disappear into obscurity, Suzaku Kururugi thought to himself, as he walked through the streets towards the wall around the Britannian Settlement. Only a week ago, he had met Lelouch again, thereby precipitating a sequence of events where he became the pilot of the White Knightmare Z-01 Lancelot, a weapon with which he could crush those who believed in reprehensible means to achieve their ends, allowing him to bring peace by force.

But something had happened in that battle, with images flooding into his head from the past, images of death, destruction, despair, of guilt for a crime that he had committed long ago, and that he had never found a way to atone for. Somehow, despite having a powerful Knightmare, he had lost control of himself and sent the weapon skittering into a trap.

'_Small wonder no one came to see me, since Britannia hates failure. And to make things worse, I'm just an honorary Britannian...they probably wonder if I failed them on purpose.'_

Thus it was that with little fanfare, and no one to welcome him, Suzaku Kururugi was discharged from the hospital, left to wander the streets before he reported to Camelot.

'_But do I really want to go back there? I mean, they'll let me pilot, since they need the data, but what if it happens again? What if I go berserk and lose control of myself?"_

_Thump!_

The urge to destroy. White hot pain. Wrongness.

He moved his head, looking around for a reason for this strange feeling, but saw nothing.

_Thump! Thump!_

_Noiseless echoes. The strings of puppets. Strange. Strange. Spinning. Spinning. Spinning spinning the world is spinning. Sun and moon. Female and lion. Angel and pollution. Colliding uphill paths. Broken hourglass. Upwards falling sand. Shattered window and a door without a handle. Darkness. Darkness. Darkness. Darkness. Darkness._

'_No…I have to keep calm,'_ Suzaku thought to himself, trying to force his mind to calm. Slowly, dizzily, reduced to staggering, he walked over to a bench overlooking the wall and sat down.

_Cessation is disregard. The bleeding earth. Trade your blood for poison and you will attain immortality. Rose. Rose. Rose. Rose. Your splendor will not last forever. The way to reach the ending world, shadow shadow shadow spreading defilement. The tangle of broken bones, the reversal of limbs, awaken in the shrine of balance beyond the dual serpent and scorpion. The skin of rotten fruit. Burned puppet of celluloid. The home of murderers. Grinding and friction. Sun and Moon. Colliding uphill paths. Female and lions. Broken hourglass. Spiraling clouds. I am unparalleled. Upwards falling sand. Seven years ago. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. **You Killed**!_

'_No No No…I must think about something else,'_ Suzaku struggled, desperately seeking to think about something-anything else. '_Like what happened to that green-haired girl? The one who—'_

And then a voice broke into his mind.

'_Green-haired girl? Ooh…another champion! And he knows C.C.! Well then, time to play,' _ came the words of Mao from almost half a kilometer away. _**'Warped Reflection.'**_

The crimson sigil of Geass blazed before Berserker's eyes, and a harsh cry was ripped from his throat before the world disappeared in a haze of white.

"**AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

* * *

A/N: So Lancer makes his appearance, and Suzaku and Villetta finally awaken from the trauma of C.C.'s mental assault. Worry not, it won't be too long before a full confrontation with Berserker comes – after all, Suzaku knows well the scent of death, doesn't it? Especially considering his…shall we say, very personal involvement in that regard.

Stat sheets for Lancer and Berserker below

* * *

**Information on Servant Lancer**

Personal Information:

True Name: Gilbert G.P. Guilford  
Class: Lancer  
Independent Champion of Eden Vital  
Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: B

Endurance: B

Agility: C

Luck: D

Mana (Phantasm World): B

Noble Phantasm: B

Details:

"It is my pleasure to serve and obey you, my Lady." – Gilbert G.P. Guilford

A slender, dark-haired, bespectacled man known as the 'Spearhead of the Empire', Gilbert G.P. Guilford is perhaps the best modern exemplar of a true Knight, excelling in the arts of war, courageous, gallant, loyal, having sworn off cowardice and base tactics. Unwavering in his devotion to Britannia and to Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia, who he serves as confidante and personal knight, he believes that no good may come from evil means, and so crushes the enemies of Britannia at the point of his lance.

At the outbreak of the Eden Vital War, Guilford was chosen as one of the 5 independent champions of Eden Vital itself, meaning that he does not start under service to a Code-Bearer—-and that his abilities as a servant were to be sealed until coming into contact with another. This condition was met when he witnessed the dramatic use of Rider's power via the live broadcast to all Britannia, with his power fully unlocked when he stumbled upon a thought elevator in Area 18.

In Knightmare combat, Guilford has considerable ability, befitting the commander of the Glaston Knights, an elite group of Knightmare Frame pilots named after Glastonbury Tor, the alleged resting place of King Arthur and his queen. Together with his Geass, Perception of Absolute Potential, which allows him to see a few seconds into the future, he is capable of evening the odds against even the highest-ranked devicers.

In a Phantasm World, Lancer is quite a fearsome opponent, armed both with the strength of his convictions and with two cursed spears - one inflicting unhealable damage, while the other dispels the effects of innate bounded fields and other magical effects.

Skills:

**Riding**: B  
Ability to ride / pilot things or creatures. Lancer can ride most vehicles (including Knightmare Frames) with above average skill, though not the frames requiring nearly superhuman devicers.

**Battle Continuation**: B  
Does not give up easily / the ability to stay alive. It allows for battle even on the verge of death, and allows the user to stay alive until they receive a clearly fatal blow.

**Bravery**: A+  
Capacity to resist mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. At this rank, Bravery grants a bonus effect of increasing melee damage

**Mind's Eye (True)**: B (C)  
A "combat logic" that allows for calm analysis of the situation and the enemy's ability in spite of danger, and consideration of all possible actions in a particular situation. If there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of success. However, if Lancer is distracted during battle by a threat to Princess Cornelia, this ability is reduced by one rank.

**Military Tactics**: C+  
Tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized. Lancer's military training and his experience as commander of the Glaston Knights have provided him with a working understanding of how to fight and win battles.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Perception of Absolute Potential**: Lancer's Geass allows him to see a few seconds into the future, which allows him to fight against even nominally superior opponents on even terms. However, the use of this ability stresses the mind and body, with strain increasing the longer the Geass is in activation.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Rhongomiant **(anti-unit): B  
Cursed after being used to destroy the scabbard of Excalibur, Rhongomiant is a spear of gold that inflicts wounds that cannot be healed. In effect, it lowers an opponent's max HP limit, thus any healing abilities (or a "reset" ability like Disengage) will only recover the victim to the point where he or she received the injury. This effect cannot be dispelled, and cancelling the curse requires either the sealing/destruction of the spear, or the death of the spear's owner.

**Illusion Breaker** (anti-unit): B  
A cursed spear that nullifies the effect of innate bounded fields (such as Assassin's Innate Time Control or Rider's Origami) or illusionary obstacles formed of Mana. Any protection made of mana will be rendered ineffective, and any weapon with added effects will have these sealed if struck by Illusion Breaker. In effect, this is a perfect "anti-Noble Phantasm" spear that can be defended against only by physical means.

**Regalia** (anti-army): A  
The "Knightmare Frame" known as Regalia (from the Latin regal, or 'King') is Lancer's greatest Noble Phantasm. It is not a weapon made by man, but an ultimate fantasy, created by the collective unconscious as a crystallization of the ideal of chivalry. Regalia has the appearance of a winged centaur, alluding to the time when most Lancers were mounted Knights. It does not posess Landspinners, its four legs and wings instead enabling it to move more swiftly across rugged terrain or even to fly. While it is armed with two auto-cannons (mounted to its hips), and six Slash Harkens for defense (three on each wing), its primary weapon is a golden drill-lance said to be capable of piercing the heavens.

* * *

**Information on Servant Berserker**

Personal Information:

True Name: Suzaku Kururugi  
Class: Berserker  
Independent Champion of Eden Vital  
Alignment: Chaotic Insane

Strength: B (A+)*

Endurance: B (A)*

Agility: B+ (A)*

Luck: D

Mana (Phantasm World): C (B)*

Noble Phantasm: A++

*The statistics between ( ) are the result of Mad Enhancement.

Details:

"Any ends gained through contemptible means aren't worth anything..." – Suzaku Kururugi

Suzaku Kururugi is the son of Japan's last prime minister, Genbu Kururugi, and incidentally, his father's murderer. When Japan's forces fell to the Britannian Army during the Second Pacific War, Genbu Kururugi called for resistance at all costs - a point that Suzaku disagreed with, and unable to change his mind, settled for murder. In the aftermath, the government was thrown into disarray, with no choice but to surrender to Britannia. He achieved his sought-after peace, but could never atone for his sins.

Suzaku's guilt was, ironically, compounded by Japan's refusal to actually blame or reprimand him for his actions. As this made him feel it impossible to atone for his sins, he sank into despair and sought atonement through death, constantly putting himself in the most dangerous situations he could find, though finding himself unable to, as his deeply suppressed cowardice forced him to stay alive through releasing the limits on his potential. Thus, having already applied to himself a low-level of Mad Enhancement, when the Eden Vital War began, he was Eden Vital's obvious choice for servant Berserker, the class that trades sanity for power.

Like Rider, his latent abilities as a Champion were awakened during the Shinjuku Incident, though it was not proximity to another servant, but C.C.'s psychic assault that served as the trigger. Of special note, he is the only Servant other than Avenger to have seen C.C., though he is unaware of her identity (or that she triggered his breakdown).

Even without the effect of his Geass of Absolute Survival, his physical prowess is quite formidable, as Berserker possesses superior hand-eye coordination coupled with extensive military training in both firearms and hand-to-hand combat. When it is activated, however, any and all restraints (ethical or physcial, conscious or unconscious) on his abilities are released, rendering him nigh invincible in hand to hand combat.

Within a Phantasm World, Berserker is a terrifying opponent to face. Taking the form of a knight covered head to toe in black plate (which nullifies any attack below rank B), he is fully capable of using his entire arsenel of combat techniques, with any object he picks up becoming a Noble Phantasm of rank D in his hands. Further, his sword Arondight, an indestructible crystallization of betrayal and despair, raises all parameters to rank A+ when drawn, making Berserker truly the strongest Servant.

Skills:

**Mad Enhancement**: B+  
Raises basic parameters in exchange of hindering mental capacities. At this rank, all parameters are boosted, except Luck, but in exchange, Berserker loses his sanity.

**Riding**: A  
Ability to ride / pilot things or creatures. Berserker can ride most vehicles (including Knightmare Frames), up to and including those which require nearly superhuman skills.

**Battle Continuation**: A  
Does not give up easily / the ability to stay alive. It allows for battle even on the verge of death, and allows the user to stay alive until they receive a clearly fatal blow.

**Eternal Arms Mastery**: A+  
Prevents degradation of fighting skills when under the effect of mental hindrance. By complete merging of mind, body and technique, it is possible to make use of full fighting skills even when under the influence of any sort of mental hindrance.

**Instinct**: B  
The power to "feel" the most favorable developments for oneself during battle.

**Mana Energy Release**: A  
When in a Phantasm World, an enormous amount of magical energy always covers Berserker's body like a dense fog, which in addition to his black armor, increases his defenses considerably

**Protection from Arrows**: B  
Increased defense against ranged attacks by predicting the projectile trajectory through exceptional means such as hearing the sound of air being cut or sensing the killing intent of the enemy. As long as the shooter is within his line of sight, he can track down ranged weapons with his eyes and defend against them. Does not apply for attacks made from super-long-range or with a great area-of-effect.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Geass of Absolute Survival**: An automatic Geass that activates every time Berserker feels suicidal or in imminent danger of death, this Geass forces him to survive by any means necessary - boosting speed, reaction time, strength, endurance, and all other parameters to superhuman levels. However, much like the ability "Mad Enhancement", it strips Berserker of the ability to speak or think rationally.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Armor of Lancelot **(support): B  
Taking the form of black plate armor covering Berserker's entire body, the Armor of Lancelot completely negates any attack below rank B. In addition, an attack that succeeds in breeching his armor, if not immediately fatal, will not work a second time, as the armor will adapt to resist it.

**Knight of Honor** (anti-unit): A++  
Grants free use and the attribute of "one's own Noble Phantasm" to any object held in Berserker's hands. No matter what object/arm it is, the moment Lancelot takes it in his hand, it is elevated to the status of a D Rank Noble Phantasm. In the case of a Noble Phantasm originally possessing a superior Rank, that Rank will be maintained when Berserker puts it under his control.

**Arondight** (anti-unit): A++  
A cursed blade of despair, Arondight was once an immensely powerful holy sword, but due to a hero's betrayal of his ideals, became a demonic weapon, a crystallization of betrayal and despair. This is Berserker's greatest Noble Phantasm, which seals Knight of Honor when it is released. While this sword is drawn, all the parameters of Berserker are increased to A+ Rank. Furthermore, because of the way Arondight was corrupted, it deals additional damage to Servants belonging to the three Knight Classes - Saber, Archer, or Lancer.


	9. Colliding Souls

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Phantasm World – "Warped Reflection"**

"_**GUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" **_

A bellow of distorted rage echoed through the halls as a black knight appeared in midair within the world of mirrors, crashing unceremoniously into the cold metallic floor with a dull _clank! _Not the most auspicious start to the battle to come, but the figure barely noticed the inconvenience as he leaped to his feet, his helmeted head turning slowly one way, then the other as he sniffed, surveying his surroundings for any hint of the enemy.

The mirrors about him reflected the image of an imposing warrior armored head to toe with heavy plate, his body and face completely hidden, his form wreathed with a haze of black mana, pulsing and flickering about him like flames. And unlike most other Servants, there was nothing in his hands, with a longsword slung across his back as his only apparent weapon.

This was Berserker, the Servant whose special characteristic was not his skill with any particular weapon, but rather madness, having traded sanity for overwhelming power. The strongest of the seven classes of champion in the Eden Vital War, Berserkers were notoriously difficult to face, even were they to have no outstanding technique in combat – largely because pain could and would not halt them, with the Servant continuing to fight until a clearly fatal blow (like decapitation) was delivered. They had no sense of reason, nothing that would stop them from dealing out pain and damage...nothing save death.

_Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!_

A feral growl issued from the Servant, as the black knight drew back his gauntleted fist and smashed it into the nearest mirrored wall, that single blow shattering it into long jagged pieces that clattered to the ground.

_Crash!_

Swiftly, the dark paladin crouched down, snatching up two viciously jagged pieces of glass from the mangled remains of the mirror, taking them into his hands and running a current of shadow through them, thus changing them into serrated obsidian blades, Noble Phantasms for his own personal use.

Seemingly satisfied, Berserker stood up, tilting his head as if listening intently, then—

**"_!"_**

—with a thunderous roar, threw his effort into assaulting the walls of the maze itself. Others might have tried to find their way through the maze, playing into Archer's little game, but Berserker didn't even bother, preferring the more direct technique of simply breaking everything in between himself and his opponent with monstrous strength. So while to most, the mirrored world of _**Warped Reflection**_ would have been a nuisance at best, and lethally disorienting, at worst, but for Berserker, it was simply an obstacle that he could—and would—tear his way through.

_Smash! Crash! Crunch!_

The black knight's blows were unrefined, smashing swings with no technique to them, throwing up dust and shards of glass and metal as he proceeded on, but then, refinement and technique were necessary. As the strongest Servant, Berserker did not bother searching for a weak point, as he doesn't need to – searching for weak points, using techniques…these are things that humans did to compensate for weaknesses, and weakness was the one thing that Berserker did not possess.

While the mad Servant was continuing his onslaught, a sarcastic, almost nasal shout of _**"Black Barrel"**_ issued from somewhere in the maze's depths.

_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

Three low, thundering reports were heard, and all at once a trio of bullets slammed into Berserker's armor, detonating in three cobalt azure blasts that tore three small holes into his shroud of shadow-holes that almost instantly closed, the corrupted knight barely even noticing the attack at all, merely redoubling his blows, as if to more quickly reach the place where his opponent was lurking.

_Clang!_

One section of the maze proved to be more resistant than most, and so with a growl, the Servant shattered it with a devastating roundhouse kick, moving more quickly in full plate than his unburdened body did outside the Phantasm World.

The words _**"Black Barrel!" **_were heard again, and _BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! _ came another three shots.

This time, Archer's Noble Phantasm failed to so much as leave a scratch on Berserker's armored form.

"_**AOWWUUAAAHHHHH!" **_

A black howl rent the air.

_Crash!_

Another mirrored wall was torn down, with the implacable armored form of Suzaku Kururugi crashing through the opening, following the scent of his prey.

From his vantage point, Mao's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked from Berserker to the weapon in his hand, and then back at the approaching Servant once more—his jaw dropping as he noted how quickly his opponent was closing the distance by breaking the very world itself.

'_Wha…he wasn't hurt? What a…monster…'_

As the black knight finally came into view, a chill raced down Archer's spine. No, that was an understatement. His entire body felt frozen by fear, struck by the realization this Servant was an existence on a completely different level. It wasn't a matter of being stronger or weaker than him – the difference was not that trivial…Berserker's strength was beyond comprehension.

And Mao understood…to face Berserker, to stand against it and fight, meant nigh certain death. There was little hope of him getting out of this situation alive—and none of him escaping unscathed. His smugness and playfulness were drowned by despair, and for a moment he thought to run, but-

'_Wait. If I don't win, C.C. won't love me anymore,'_ Mao thought to himself, under the mistaken impression that she currently loved him at all. '_If I'm a prince on a white stallion, I have to be strong enough to rescue the princess.'_

It was the principle of the Eden Vital War to defeat one's enemies, to defeat other Servants in exchange for a wish.

Thus, for the sake of his imagined future with C.C., Mao would have to defeat this raging beast.

'_It will be alright…right, C.C.?'_

So thinking, Archer tore himself out of his daze and hefted the weapon in his grip, its cold weight somehow more intimidating than it had ever seemed before. Berserker was in his sights, advancing like a raging wind…so he would get only one shot at victory.

_Clink! Fwoosh!_

Without warning, Berserker hurled the two glass shards he had acquired earlier at his foe, the two flying straight and true—to miss Archer and—

_BOOM!_

—_explode_ in a gout of magical energy as they flew past him.

"Guh!"

A sickening thud, as Archer was lifted off his feet, hurled through the air, and slammed into the wall behind him, his form slumping against it in pain.

'_No. Not yet. Not without giving it my all…'_

His weapon, the gun that could supposedly slay gods, was still gripped tightly in his hand, and as Berserker made to close the final meters between them, Mao resolved to invoke the full might of his Noble Phantasm's god slaying power.

For against a creature like Berserker, there could be no such thing as overkill.

A pure white light flowed out, a raging tempest gathering about the barrel of Archer's handheld cannon, feeding into a nascent star forming before the muzzle. Converging and spinning, it gathered power into itself from the rest of the Phantasm World, the maze itself fading away as all the power Archer had was tapped for one decisive blow.

"_**Black—"**_

Seeing the sudden determination in Mao's features, and the great meteor of light taking shape, Berserker halted, instantly realizing Archer's intention to unleash his ultimate Noble Phantasm, one whose power could even destroy the greatest of Servants if he took it head on.

If that was the case, then was only way to oppose it – a strongest attack for a strongest attack.

In the next instant, the mad warrior drew his blade, revealing it to be a longsword overflowing with black light, as the aura of magical energy about his form pulsed and intensified.

**_"!_****_"_**

The demonic sword _**Arondight**_, an indestructible crystallization of mankind's despair, a sister sword to Excalibur, one of the strongest of all Noble Phantasms.

Black light wrapped itself about the demon blade as if setting it aflame, drawing mana from Berserker's deep reserves to counter what was to come.

But Archer's technique had already charged to the critical point, a flashing thunderbolt ready to be loosed.

—_**Barrel!"**_

Its true name uttered, the attack was released, a torrent of light like a comet bearing down upon the dark warrior and the expanse around him.

"_**Arondight."**_

A deep, dark growl, it was the first word that Berserker has spoken since entering the Phantasm World: the true name of his Noble Phantasm.

The dark warrior lifted his true blade, and black light surged forth, a condensed wave of corrupted mana that raged through the air like a storm. In the remnants of the mirror world, light and darkness dueled, contending for supremacy.

For the merest instant, the two forces contended, struggled, warred...but darkness won, the unholy power of despair slicing the light in two, as Berserker charged through his opponent's attack, closing the distance in an instant.

_Squelch!_

With a sickening sound, the demon sword Arondight pierced clean through Archer's chest and was jerked up and to the side, a surge of darkness cleaving his body in two.

'_How…my Noble Phantasm…failed? Is this the end for humble Mao? Such overwhelming power…'_

But though his lifeblood was spilling out upon the ground, his entrails leaking and his body torn up, all but destroyed, Mao was not dead yet. And more importantly, his weapon still in his hands.

"Guaaahhh," Archer moaned, as the black knight withdrew his weapon. "Kuh…no…not like this…C.C…."

_Crunch!_

"AUuuughhh!"

A spinning kick with enough power to destroy a tank smashed into Mao's side, hurling him through the air and further breaking his body. It seemed that Berserker would not stop until Archer was dead, with no chance whatsoever of recovery.

There would be no point to escaping now, when the Phantasm World was already beginning to collapse around him, when all he had done had ended in failure.

Even if he ran, he would not win, and so C.C. would not love him.

_Clank! Clank! Clank!_

The armored juggernaut approached with heavy footsteps, and Mao spent the last of his energy to overload the Black Barrel into Broken Phantasm, a weapon of last resort that would hopefully Berserker with him.

The shadow of the mad warrior loomed. Berserker had come to finish him off, it seemed.

Blood dribbled from the corner of Archer's mouth, the world around him growing cold and dark.

"I'm sorry, C.C…" Archer whispered, his face setting in a grim mask as he whispers his last words. _**"Broken Phantasm: Black Barrel**_."

A sphere of devastation burst into being, engulfing the Phantasm World in blinding silver light. It lasted only an instant, but that instant was all that it took to set the world aflame.

"_**NUAAAAAGGHHH!"**_

In the inferno, Berserker roared in fury, the explosion having damaged his armor to a terrible extent, shrapnel from the world's destruction piercing through his gut, as blood dripped down his limbs. Any lesser Servant would have been destroyed by that suicide move, but the corrupted knight survived, even standing at the epicenter of the blast.

Without another word, Suzaku Kururugi vanished, with the only remaining trace of Archer being the crackling of flames in a crumbling world.

* * *

**Boundary Wall, Tokyo Settlement**

With a great deal of difficulty, Rolo Haliburton had finally tracked Archer to the park near the boundary wall of the Tokyo Settlement. Unfortunately for the highly-skilled assassin, his orders from V.V. were not to kill the telepathic Servant, but rather to maintain surveillance on him, seeing as his master had deemed it likely that the man would lead them to C.C.

'_Curious, he hasn't moved in some time…is he fighting in Phantasm World?'_

If so, then his opponent would need to be close by, within the radius of effect of Mao's Geass, at least. Thankfully, this park was on the very outskirts of the settlement, so there weren't many people present, just—

_Thud!_

Mao's eyes jerked open for a moment, his body spasming once as the white-haired man toppled from his perch at the edge of the settlement, plummeting over the wall into the unknown territories below, his last, whispered words being a simple "I'm sorry, C.C…"

'_Archer lost? But what Servant would have possibly—'_

_Crash!_

A mighty roundhouse kick caught Rolo in the back, sending the lad sprawling to the concrete walkway. Scrabbling for distance, the assassin tried to get to his feet, but—

"Guh!"

The air was knocked out of him by a front snap kick, followed by an uppercut to the face that sends him reeling back once more. Then a flurry of palm thrusts, thrown with inhuman speed and strength, aimed at chest and neck and face—of which Rolo could defend against the latter two.

"Servant. Servant. Servant. Green hair. You want to know. You want kill me," Suzaku Kururugi was muttering, Geass sigils flashing his eyes as he chanted a madness mantra that compelled him onwards, urging him to destroy to kill, to tear apart those who threatened him. "No. No. No. Live. I must. I must. I must _**live**_!"

'_Berserker,'_ Rolo realized, activating his Geass, the **Ward of Absolute Suspension**, freezing the Honorary Britannian in place. _'A truly dangerous Servant, in either world. Little wonder that Archer lost, though it seemed that Berserker was not unwounded, given how he reacted like a cornered animal.'_

The pain in his chest was greater than usual this time, possibly from the blows Berserker had rained down upon him. It would be better to kill him now, but…

'_He mentioned green-hair, meaning that Mao probably fought him for information about C.C._'

Given Assassin's standing orders and the priority of his mission to find C.C., it seemed Berserker would live another day.

"Tch! It would be much simply to kill him now," the boy muttered, even as he jumped up and pistolwhipped Kururugi on the back of the head, before running to get away. This Servant could be tracked easily enough, unlike Mao, so Rolo could afford to live and let live this one time.

And since he had not displayed any trace of a Geass that allowed him to manipulate objects...

'_Zero is most likely Servant Rider. Master V.V will be pleased with that information.'_

With that, the assassin slunk away, disappearing out of sight before releasing his Geass.

Suzaku Kururugi reeled, the Geass sigils in his eyes disappearing as the threat disappeared, and his instincts allowed his sanity to return. He couldn't remember what had happened during the last few minutes. What had happened? Why was there blood on his hands? Why was he in so much pain?

"What am I…doing here?"

* * *

**A/N: **So the Eden Vital War claims its first victim. Goodbye to Archer, who will now wait forever in the World of C.

* * *

**Broken Phantasm**  
A technique that all Servants are capable of using, though usually only as a last resort, this consists of overloading a Noble Phantasm with mana and making it explode for incredible destructive power. A weapon destroyed in this fashion is forever lost, so it is not commonly done – however, in a drastic situation, it can be of great effect, as using a Noble Phantasm as Broken Phantasm raises its power by one rank.


	10. Premonition of a Storm

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Mobile Command Center, Black Knights HQ**

As with any facility hosting full-time residents (or a fledgling army in this case), one of the most used areas in the Black Knights' mobile base was the kitchen, where those who were hungry could grab a quick bite to eat – or failing that, could sit and socialize with the others, catching the latest news and gossip. Generally, there tended to be at least one person there at any given time, so upon her arrival at the mobile base, Kallen Kozuki headed straight there, pausing at the open door as she took in a rather bizarre sight.

Zero, the mysterious leader of the Black Knights, master of Avenger and sworn enemy of Britannia was sitting at the counter, staring intently at what appeared to be a cored-out pumpkin resting on a Pizza Hut dish.

'_Now this is odd.'_

For one thing, no one had ever seen Zero eat (no surprise, given that that was rather difficult to do with a mask on), so for the masked figure to display this much interest in an item of food was unusual. Besides that, it was well known that Zero only ate pizza, having appointed Tamaki to the post of Pizza Supplier to ensure that some of the food was always in stock, so why—a pumpkin of all things now?

"Tamaki," C.C. spoke slowly, her voice dripping with such disdain that it could strip rust from metal, each word clear and biting. "What…is this?"

Sitting across from the leader of the Black Knights was indeed Shinichirō Tamaki, the self-proclaimed best friend of Zero, Internal Cleaning Supporter of the Black Knights, and most often seen face in the kitchen. Perhaps he would go on to open a bistro or other dining establishment, as some of the others had speculated, though he himself merely claimed to want to be a bureaucrat. Currently, the man (who was rather relaxed despite being in the presence of their supreme leader), was leaning back, hands behind his head, snorting as he eyed the pudding as well.

"Oh c'mon, Zero, it's a pumpkin pudding!"

So the hotblooded man answered, as carefree as always. To Kallen's amusement, Tamaki didn't even seem to notice that something was wrong, or that Zero was...annoyed.

"Pumpkin pudding," C.C. repeated, noting that the center of the pumpkin had indeed been hollowed out and replaced with a smooth and creamy filling. Her tone suggested that she was not quite satisfied with the reply.

"Yeah, pudding!" the man replied, his face taking on an almost incredulous expression. Could Lady Zero really not know what pudding was? "Haven't you ever had pudding before?"

"I know what pudding is, Tamaki," came the grating reply of the Grey Witch, making her displeasure and irritation perfectly known, "but why is it here instead of pizza?"

"Oh, that."

With two words, Tamaki waved aside the concerns of quite possibly the most powerful figure in the rebel underworld, a blithe smile on his face as he did so. It was almost as if he thought of the substitution as something inconsequential, nothing even worth noting in the grand scheme of things. After all, most people would be glad to have dessert first…right?

"Yes, dear Pizza Supplier," came the icy response. "That."

Of course, C.C. was not exactly most people, since pizza was one of the few things she enjoyed, as it happened to be one of her few lingering attachments she had to the time before she became immortal, reminding her of the herb, onion, and cheese topped flatbreads she had once bought from street vendors in her youth, each bite a delicious mouthful of flavor and warmth ("mouthful" conveniently being the meaning of the word that became "pizza"). There had, at the time, been literally nothing like it in the world – her favorite morning snack.

But the knowledge of this bread dish had not been widespread, and when her land of origin was consumed by the fires of war, the recipe was lost to the ages. Humanity retained an awareness of how to make bread, and an instinctive understanding that it could be better flavored, but it had taken literally thousands of years before anything like her beloved flatbreads was developed once again.

Those had been dark times, ages without cheese and tomatoes, without bread lightly sprinkled with olive oil, without those tasty mouthfuls to refresh her. Indeed, there were years when she had simply gone without food, since as an immortal, she didn't especially require it, with the World of C having recorded the concept of her form, allowing her to regenerate from damage based on that recorded template.

It wasn't until the 18th Century that C.C. had experienced the taste of that dish once again—with tomato sauce finally added to the mix once more, no longer thought to be poisonous like its close cousin nightshade. With that, pizza was born, and would become C.C.'s favorite dish for the next few hundred years.

"Heh," responded Tamaki, finally catching on to the disapproval in his boss' voice and thinking he needed to explain before he was demoted. "In honor of the new Governor-General's ascension, Pizza Hut is giving out a free pumpkin pudding with each order of three or more pizzas. And since you've had me ordering plenty these last few days, we've had enough pudding for every one of us!"

"Free…pumpkin pudding," the Grey Witch muttered, continuing to glare at the frozen pumpkin filled with pudding, as if having difficulty comprehending the spectacle before her. While C.C. was not averse to the idea of free food (all her food these days was free, courtesy of Lelouch vi Britannia's credit card), she failed to understand why Pizza Hut was giving out pudding instead of say…breadsticks or calzones.

Then came the sound of footsteps and a rustling of cloth, as the Black Knights' sub_-_commander Avenger entered the dining area, his lips curving into a smirk behind his black and silver mask.

"I guess they don't call the Governor General the 'Earl of Pudding' for nothing," was his snide contribution to the conversation. "Well, at least we don't have to ask if Pizza Hut supports the rebellion…"

The prince of lies trailed off, looking pointedly at the pumpkin on a plate, as C.C. turned instead to Kallen, the black oval of her faceplate staring blankly at the Knightmare Pilot.

"Kallen…do you enjoy pudding?" Zero asked, her tone rather…solicitous as she pushed the strange dish aside. "This is yours if you want it."

"Well…I guess I don't mind it," the redhead allowed, moving over to consider the dessert in question, "though I've never had it served from a pumpkin before…"

"Yeah, the nerve of those extravagant Britannians," Tamaki added, trying to put the blame for the pudding mixup on their common foe. "Ordering pumpkins just to use as bowls. What a crock!"

Zero turned to look at Tamaki once more, giving as much of a withering stare as was possible while her face was covered.

"Tamaki," the Geass Witch intoned, voice harsh and disapproving.

"Yes, Zero?" Tamaki replied, looking around nervously now. Zero's mood was finally breaking through his denseness, and somehow, he didn't think that Avenger and Kallen arriving on the scene was a coincidence anymore.

'_Oh…crap. Zero found out about the lavish desserts I've been ordering. Or maybe the pizza order I mixed up and lost the other day. Or that I ate her other pudding, which is why she's asking so many questions about this one. This is bad. You know, all I wanted to do was be a bureaucrat, but no, Britannia just had to invade…'_

Then a soft chuckle issued from the mask of the commander of the Black Knights.

"Well, far be it for me to disapprove of the resistance obtaining free food, especially if it keeps up morale," Zero allowed with a hint of warmth. "Consider yourself promoted to Recruitment Officer, like Ohgi, though this does not absolve you from obtaining Pizza for me, got that?"

Tamaki's chest swelled in pride as he heard Zero's proclamation of his newfound promotion, meaning that he'd finally been given a more official position than what was effectively go-fer and janitor.

"Thanks Zero," the man said happily, grinning a million dollar smile. "You won't regret this, man. Woman. Whatever you are."

With that, the Internal Cleaning Supporter got up from his chair and gave Zero a manly hug, which C.C. was…less than amused by.

"You're welcome," the Geass Witch replied, while inwardly thinking that it was better for Tamaki to help recruitment than be put in charge of something like Knightmare maintenance, since they still didn't have too many of those. "You have the rest of the night off, so please relax…somewhere other than here."

"Right. Got it. Sure thing, Zero."

With that, Tamaki left. In the wake of his departure, C.C. beckoned the two Servants to follow her to her personal quarters, but not before issuing some instructions.

"Kallen, bring the pudding with you. Avenger, you bring the pizza."

Avenger rolled his eyes, but complied anyway, since he hadn't had dinner yet, as he'd been in Zero's room filling out yet _more_ of the paperwork that the green-haired witch preferred not to do. When questioned as to why, she had replied with the following:

"Most people think that the only things that are certain are Death and Taxes. Well they aren't. In modern civilizations, the only thing that's certain is paperwork. Besides, you're the Servant here…so get working."

The trio walked in silence back to the room of the Geass Witch and entered, all three of them taking a seat around the table that had been set up there, with Lelouch taking the opportunity to remove his mask, exposing his raven hair and purple eyes to the world.

"Lancer and Assassin have arrived in Tokyo," the immortal began manner-of-factly, giving a report of what she knew to her Servants. Then her voice took on a slightly softer tone, as she continued. "Further, Berserker is no longer incapacitated, and Archer…died."

"Berserker?" Kallen asked, tilting her head as she peered at the enigmatic form of Zero. "Do we know who he is?"

"He was piloting the White Knightmare in Shinjuku," C.C. replied evenly, recalling the means used to stop him, and how that had probably served to awaken his full potential. "I trust you remember that unit, Avenger?"

As it happened, Lelouch had a very good memory, especially for people or machines that had almost ended up killing him. Thus, he nodded.

"Do we know who Archer was, or who killed him?" Avenger asked, looking for ways to take advantage of this—or at least for data on possible other enemies.

"I don't know of Archer's identity, but his killer was most likely Berserker," C.C. answered flatly, her voice devoid of its usual playfulness when alone. "Even I can't sense Assassin unless he's in combat—and he only appeared after Archer was already dead."

"And the others?" Avenger pressed, continuing his line of inquiry.

"Lancer just arrived, Saber is still in the Chinese Federation, and the less said about Caster the better," the Geass Witch responded, relaying what she knew. "So unless it was one of you two…"

The redhead shook her head, since none of the people she had encountered during the day would have matched the image of a rampaging warrior.

"No, the only person I came across was the new sub-viceroy," Kallen answered, a statement that drew a curious look from Lelouch.

"And who is the sub-viceroy?" the black prince asked solicitously. "Perhaps we can use her as a source of information…"

"The Third Princess of the Empire, Euphemia li Britannia," was Rider's response, edge of her lips quirking up into a faint smile. "She's...very impulsive."

Lelouch could barely suppress his shock at the mention of his first love.

'_Euphie…I see you haven't changed…'_

"How very interesting," murmured the Geass Witch, smiling crookedly under the mask of Zero. "So you met Euphie, eh..."

"...how did you know she called herself Euphie?"

"Call it a hunch."

* * *

**Camelot Research Lab, Tokyo Settlement**

After his blackout at the boundary wall of the Tokyo Settlement, Suzaku Kururugi felt rather disoriented. Unable to recall what had happened during the past few minutes or so, all he knew for sure was that he had apparently been in a fight, since the back of his head still stung with pain from a blow he'd apparently taken.

"But why would someone attack me?" the pilot wondered out loud. "I'm just an Honorary Britannian."

For that matter, how had they managed to surprise him, when he'd been instructed in the arts of combat since he was a child? It was a puzzle, that.

Aside from that minor inconvenience though, Suzaku was uninjured, and further, there was no one else around, which he found to be curious – what exactly had happened during that missing span of time? He remembered a voice in his head, mentioning the green-haired girl, and he remembered sitting down, but afterwards, his mind was blank.

'_Maybe I was hit in the head harder than I thought,_' he mused, sighing as he walked. _'Or maybe this is one of the side effects from whatever happened to me in Shinjuku.'_

Without anything else to do, Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi decided to report to the only place where he had been somewhat accepted – the research lab Camelot, where his job was to pilot the Z-01 Lancelot, the first seventh generation Knightmare in existence. It was a bit of a walk, but the Honorary Britannian didn't mind, since it gave him a chance to clear his head.

After some time, he arrived at the organization, sliding his access card to gain entrance, where he witnessed a flurry of activity, with the blue-haired Cecile Croomy at the very center of it, directing technicians to and fro.

'_Why so many Knightmares? And where's Earl Asplund?'_

Where the research facility had once housed only the Lancelot, the workspace was apparently also home to several Sutherlands, including an odd looking model with orange parts and light grey armor, as well as what seemed like a half-built model using Lancelot parts on a Sutherland base. But Suzaku supposed that Earl Asplund might have chosen to test a new design in his absence, so that was understandable. No, what concerned him the most was that—

"Welcome back Suzaku," Cecile said, having caught notice of his entrance while he was still looking around.

"It's good to be back, Miss Cecile," he replied, still confused. "What's happened since I've been unconscious?"

"Many things," answered the slightly frazzled blue-haired director of Camelot. "The most important things are that Lloyd is now the Governor-General, leaving me in charge of the lab, and that he's ordered all Sutherlands to be recalled and refitted with technology developed for the Lancelot. As you can imagine, the military isn't exactly happy with him at the moment."

"Huh? Earl Asplund is the new Governor-General? But what happened to Prince Clovis, Miss Cecile?"

Cecile Croomy pursed her lips, unsure how much to tell the poor boy, as she didn't want to overwhelm him with shock. But then, she figured that he would hear about it sooner or later, so it was probably best to get it over with now.

"Clovis is dead, Suzaku, killed during the Shinjuku Incident along with his entire command staff."

At that, the Honorary Britannian's hands curled into fists, his frame sagging in despair at the realization of the magnitude of his failure. Apparently, the terrorists had not only overrun Shinjuku and released poison gas, from what he'd heard, but…

'_I didn't think things were this bad.'_

"Then…the terrorists won?" he asked, at a loss for words. _'Then…what happened to Lelouch and that green-haired girl?' "_Did they ever catch who was responsible for the killings?"

Miss Croomy said nothing for a moment, going instead over to her workbench, from which she retrieved a box of sandwiches before walking back to Suzaku.

"You must be hungry, Suzaku," she answered at last. "Have one."

"Thanks," the pilot replied, taking one and biting into it, discovering within the flavors of—_'ginger, sugar, and wasabi?'_ It wasn't exactly the best thing he had ever tasted, not that he had the heard to tell her that. "It's…good."

The scientist clapped her hands together in delight.

"I'm pleased you like them," the director of Camelot said, practically glowing in response to the praise. It wasn't often that anyone had actually praised her cooking…or even thanked her for it. "Anyway, is there anything I can do for you to help you get reoriented after a week in a coma?"

"Actually…" Suzaku began hesitantly, before going forward with his request. "Could I ask you a favor Miss Cecile?"

"Yes, Suzaku?" she asked in that gentle, almost motherly way of hers.

"Could you check the list of casualties from Shinjuku? A friend of mine was caught up in it, and I want to know if he's ok."

"Hmm," Cecile replied, giving the man a hard, almost quizzical look. "Is this the person you nearly stopped a bullet for?"

"…yes."

"Sure…but can I ask you something in return?"

The Lancelot's pilot merely nods in acquiescence.

"From your psychological profile, you hate letting people die, yet you're in the military," Miss Croomy summed up, noting the rather strange contradiction. Why is that?"

"I'm in the military to stop people from dying," was the response, one that brought a frown to the usually pleasant scientist's face. It was impossible to save everyone…you could only save those you chose to…ultimately, you would still have to kill, still let people die.

"That contradiction will get you killed someday."

'…_I hope so'_

* * *

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

Meanwhile, at the Government Bureau, Governor General Lloyd Asplund was quickly learning that he couldn't just hole himself up in his office like he could when he was the laboratory, much to his dismay. A transport shuttle carrying Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia would soon be arriving, and as the Governor General of Area 11, Lloyd supposed that he would have to greet her, though really, he was only doing it to keep Camelot in the good graces of the royal family. And while he didn't know for sure, he strongly suspected that the princess would probably be as stern as her nickname "Witch of Britannia" suggested, probably angry about Zero and the unrest among the Elevens, among other things.

'_And it's probably just because they're Elevens,' _he groused, almost depressed at the thought. The bureaucrats that the Earl had had to work with all week had beaten clean the bloody stains where that horse used to be, grinding it under a Knightmare's landspinners again and again, giving Lloyd a terrible headache.

At least when Cecile explained political niceties to him—ok, scolded him or rapped his head when he messed up too badly—he didn't mind too much, but to hear the politicians talk…

Not for the first time, Earl Asplund wondered why anyone would have wanted this ridiculous job, though a moment later he conceded to himself that the minor benefits were…sometimes…worth it. He had, after all, managed to dig up some interesting data on the projects of Clovis and Bartley, as well as order around those stuffy military types into doing what he wanted.

Indeed, Lloyd had almost danced a giddy jig in glee after he had won the Sutherland debate, seeing as it as a way to get back at all those who had doubted his precious Lancelot. He really had to thank Zero for the opportunity, as otherwise, they never would have backed down from their grandstanding to let him tinker with all those Knightmare Frames.

'_Or let Cecile tinker with them, I guess,'_ the Earl admitted reluctantly, some of his enthusiasm ebbing as he did. While it wasn't unusual for a Governor General to have a pet project…or five, he _had_ left the project to Cecile, who he supposed would be happy enough to work without him always looking her shoulder—even if he missed her. Or even her cooking, on occasion (not that he'd admit that to anyone-least of all her).

Oh, what he was served as Governor General was nice, he supposed (especially the pudding), but there was no _personality_ to it, only recipes that had been hammered down time and time again with almost mechanical precision, till the cook was nothing more than a cog in a machine.

Personally, he preferred something with more flair.

Even his creations weren't made for mass production and profit, merely for the sake of advancement, for seeing what could be done. In that way, he wasn't a scientist, an empirical incrementalist who developed things little by little—that kind of thinking had led to the Sutherlands, which, except for the one he and Cecile had built together, was utter and complete rubbish. No, Lloyd was an artist, taking bursts of inspiration and running with them, acting on temperament, angst, giddiness, and despair, melding them all together into one indescribable whole.

"Your Excellency."

If there was one thing the Earl of Pudding wasn't suited for, it was politics. He would be the first to tell anyone that—and yet it seemed that everyone else had been even more incompetent, since apparently, his childish fits of pique, irritating demands, sarcastic tongue, and infamously sharp mind (on top of getting results, of course, the only thing that mattered) worked wonders. And he did have to admit that for once, it was refreshing not to have to deal with any higher-ups, the sort that asked for "performance reviews" or to see the results of an experiment they barely understood, then verbally tore it to pieces because of their sheer ignorance.

'_At least Cecile won't have to worry about that_.'

That much, he would make sure of—though, Lloyd admitted that he would drop in every once in a while to oversee the creation of the Lancelot Club, a design for a new machine based on a Sutherland base with Lancelot parts. It would be Cecile's new machine—compensation for the fact that following his upgrades, her Sutherland Air would no longer be unique.

"Your Excellency."

Ah, the annoying voice again, one or another of the many aides about the Government Bureau. Really, it wasn't as if…

"Governor-General Asplund?"

That was a new voice. Feminine, youthful sounding…there weren't too many of those in the Bureau. Curious, Lloyd looked up from a design he'd been sketching in his spare time—only to come face to face with Princess Euphemia li Britannia.

Raising an eyebrow, the white-clad man stood, adjusting his glasses before bowing very, very slightly.

"Hmm…Sub-Viceroy was it?" the Earl of Pudding asked in turn, deciding to reply to this one. "I suppose I'll be working with you from now on. Though I should warn you, politics is the worst job you can find yourself doing."

Inwardly, he was a tad surprised. The princess had been a student up until recently, and hadn't even made her public debut yet, and they wanted her to work under him? She was going to pick up any number of bad habits, but if that's Britannia wanted...

'_Oh well, onward Christian soldiers and all that…'_

"Your Excellency, the transport with Princess Cornelia has arrived," the aide interjected, seeing that the frustratingly difficult Earl had finally looked up. _'Honestly, he's an Earl. Does he have no grasp of political realities?' _"As Governor General—"

"Yes yes," he said, waving the aide away dismissively, though the lackey stayed right where he was. Lloyd just rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"I'm supposed to escort you to the location, Your Excellency," the assistant continued. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, Your Excellency?"

"Well then, off we go," the Earl replied, somewhat petulantly, as the aide led the way there.

"That wasn't very nice of you, Earl Asplund," Princess Euphemia commented as she fell into step besides the scientist. "You should be more considerate of those who depend on you."

"Why? We're all replaceable, just cogs in a machine, Britannian and Eleven alike," came the reply, one that the princess found rather disturbing. "Just as a devicer is merely a component of a Knightmare, nothing more."

"That's…not true," the Sub-viceroy protested, though Lloyd didn't listen.

"Why not? Afraid of the truth?"

The Governor General's footsteps quickened, and Euphemia was forced to hurry to catch up with him as they walked on in silence to the hangar. An honor guard was already there, and the Governor General and Sub-Viceroy took their assigned places, walking to meet the newly arrived Second Princess.

"Your Highness," Earl Asplund said with a cordial bow, proving that he could be a gentleman if he felt like it.

"Governor General," Cornelia acknowledged, nodding once in deference to his station. Then she turned to her sister. "Sub-Viceroy. I heard what you did, Euphemia…you shouldn't be so reckless."

"I know, Sister. Forgive me. But..."

"As for you, Governor General," the Chief General of the Imperial Army continued, drawing her weapon and pointing it at Earl Asplund's head. "Where is Zero? Why haven't you caught him by now?"

"How should I know?" the Earl of Pudding replied with one of his airs and shrugging, a move that almost made Cornelia's trigger finger twitch and fire. "Besides, pointing that at me won't help you catch him any faster."

"Are you sloppy, senile, corrupt, or what?" Cornelia snapped at him. "I want the enemy of the Empire caught! Get Zero!"

"How charming, like a child after a toy," Lloyd commented, his mocking nature back to the fore without the moderating presence of Cecile. "Besides, how can I without suitable Knightmares?"

"Don't bother using that as an excuse. You're the one who recalled all the Sutherlands, leaving Area 11's Knightmare garrisons stripped to the bone!" the Chief General snarled once again, annoyed…but holstering her weapon before she did accidentally shoot the man. She didn't understand why the Emperor had not assigned her to be the Viceroy, only allowing her military jurisdiction—after the Governor General.

"Oh, they have Glasgows. Those are enough to keep order," the Earl of Pudding responded blithely. "Besides, I'm taking the trouble to upgrade those pieces of junk with technology from the Lancelot, making their abilities far greater than normal..."

"But in the meantime…" Cornelia li Britannia trailed off, annoyed. Did this man really have no understanding of how to run an Area? Did he think it was just an extension of his research laboratory? She suppressed a hiss of frustration. "That would be the seventh generation Knightmare Frame?"

"Yes, the only one that might stand up to Zero's mysterious power," Lloyd stated. "A fascinating power it is too…I wouldn't mind the chance to study it up close. Even so, to get more data I'll need better Knightmares, hence the upgrades."

Cornelia opened her mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again.

"I understand that the Lancelot's pilot is an Eleven," the Chief General said at last, trying to find a topic that would not overly annoy the man, or set him off on a fit of pique.

"That's correct, an Honorary Britannian."

"Still, I would like to win without having to rely too much on the Numbers," Cornelia replied, her inborn prejudice against the colonials all too clear.

"Tch. Numbers, Britannians, a devicer is just a devicer, tools to be used," Lloyd countered, raising one of his slender eyebrows from behind his glinting glasses. "And as Governor General, I have final authority on deployment of the Special Engineering Group's resources."

"And as the Chief General of the Imperial Army, I have final authority on deployment of the armed forces," the Second Princess answered him, the two glaring at one another, unwilling to concede authority to the other.

"Those who risk their lives on the battlefield are the ones who deserve to rule," Euphemia cut in, trying to defuse the situation before things escalated any further. "I understand the theory, sister. But still..."

Cornelia broke the uneasy match of staring brinksmanship first, offering something of a compromise.

"Hmph...fine, I trust it will not be a problem for you if I use your _Glasgows_ to attack rebel groups then, _Earl_ Asplund? With your Lancelot as backup?"

She didn't use the most gracious tone, but then, Lloyd wasn't the easiest man to get along with.

"Do as you like, as long as I get the data I need for the Lancelot," the man replied whimsically, becoming slightly less agitated.

"And how soon can the Sutherland Airs be completed?"

"I suppose that depends on how cooperative the devicers are," the Earl quipped, knowing how hard it was to find reliable pilots for his advanced technology, though the thought of having developed the only Sixth and Seventh generation Knightmares in the world was...exhilarating.

_'That is...unless Rakshata has finished that machine of hers...'_

"Oh, alright, that will do for now," Cornelia allowed, knowing she wouldn't get anything further from the man. "Do you have anything further to add?"

With that, the same aide that had escorted Lloyd and Euphemia to the hanger chose to pipe up, as he had taken down some notes on events arranged to celebrate the arrival of the dignitaries.

"I do, Your Highness…as far as official welcomes go, there is a special event that is being prepared at Ashford Academy in honor of our Governor General and Sub-Viceroy. As I understand it, it involves using a Knightmare Frame to make the world's largest pudding."

* * *

**Sword of Akasha**

Within the underground temple complex that served as Britannia's foremost research laboratory on Geass, V.V sat before a thought elevator, communing with Caster on the various developments that had transpired thus far.

"So we have the first casualty of the Eden Vital War…Servant Archer has fallen," V.V. spoke softly, a slight frown of displeasure on his face. "Unfortunately, he died before leading us to C.C."

'_A true pity, as the only reason I did not have Assassin go after Saber instead was the hope that he could find the other Code-bearer. Hopefully, he will be able to eliminate Servant Rider though, as that class is notorious for having powerful Noble Phantasms.'_

"Lancer, that is, Lord Guilford, has also arrived in Area 11, so now six of the seven champions are known," the young immortal continued, the Thought Elevator carrying his words to the mind of his contractor. "One also hopes that Earl Asplund's new project with his Knightmares is keeping him busy – and that the presence of Cornelia and Euphemia will distract him from any mention of the work of Bartley, as the man was always too curious."

"Indeed, dear brother," boomed the voice of Charles zi Britannia. "But if he becomes too curious, you always have Servant Assassin in place, do you not?"

"That I do, Charles. That I do."

* * *

A/N: Pizza Huts in Japan really do sell the Pumpkin Pudding dish, among other things. Certainly a wider selection of foods than those in the States sell, at the very least.

* * *

**Information on Servant Caster**

Personal Information:

True Name: Charles zi Britannia  
Class: Caster  
Champion of: V.V.  
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Strength: C

Endurance: B

Agility: E

Luck: D

Mana (Phantasm World): A

Noble Phantasm: EX

Details:

"We will fight hard. We shall struggle, compete, plunder, and dominate. And in the end, the future shall be ours." – Charles zi Britannia

As twin brother to code-bearer V.V., Charles zi Britannia's childhood years were marred by an internal feud in the Imperial Family called the Emblem of Blood, a period of deception and assassination that resulted in the deaths of many royals - including their mother. This was the beginning of Charles' desire to create a world without lies and destroy the Gods, an ambition that he maintained after his ascension as the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, prompting Britannia's militaristic expansion in the last decade in order to capture the Thought Elevators needed to harness the power of the Sword of Akasha.

Only 10 years old when he made his original Geass Contract with V.V., with the latter upgrading this to a Servant contract at the beginning of the Eden Vital War.

A cold and callous individual, Charles is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, the destruction of the gods in Ragnarok, which includes waging war against the world, though he prefers diplomacy and bargaining. He has little apparent care for his children, or for anyone else, seeing them as pieces to be used (and sacrificed, if need be), for his own ends. This, combined with the memory alteration ability afforded to him by Geass, makes him one of the most dangerous men in the world.

Physically, he is not the most powerful combatant. However, his status as Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire gives him control of the most powerful army in the world, and in Phantasmagoria, he wields formidable magic capable of crushing other servants, even being able to use a Phantasm World itself as a weapon.

Skills:

**Territory Creation**: A  
The skill to build a special terrain that increases one's capacities as a magus. If fighting within the boundaries of Pendragon, or within Caster's Phantasm World, increases the rank of spells by one.

**Charisma**: B  
Natural talent to command an army. It increases the ability of one's army during mass combat. Charisma is a rare talent, and B-rank is enough to lead a country.

**Clairvoyance**: B  
Allows clear vision of distant targets, and improves body movement and reaction time. This rank (in Phantasm World) allows Caster to see through objects

**Battle Continuation**: B  
Does not give up easily / the ability to stay alive. It allows for battle even on the verge of death, and allows the user to stay alive until they recieve a clearly fatal blow.

**Mind's Eye (True)**: B  
A "combat logic" that allows for calm analysis of the situation and the enemy's ability in spite of danger, and consideration of all possible actions in a particular situation. If there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of success.

**Military Tactics**: B  
Tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Geass of Absolute Alteration**: Caster's Geass allows him to freely alter an individual's memories at will; he may also seal the ability of another Geass user, as well as physical abilities such as eyesight, though the influence of this ability may be cancelled a Code-bearer. Eye contact is required for use.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Phantasmal Infiltration: **B  
If Caster is caught within another Servant's Phantasm World, this Noble Phantasm acts as a fast growing "seed" that supplants the others' world with his own, allowing the use of Marble Phantasm

**Knights of the Round** (anti-unit): A  
Allows the planar manifestation of twelve phantasmal knights with D rank abilities and no Noble Phantasm. These Knights will remain for a maximum of 3 minutes, or until slain.

**Marble Phantasm** (Anti-World): EX  
As magic is the ability to impose one's will upon the world, Caster possesses the ability to transfigure his Phantasm World at will according to his vision. As the user is the source and core of the Phantasm World, he can change the world as he wishes, but in the end, what he can act on is only something within the scope of nature. A transformation independent from his world (such as an enemy Servant dying instantly) cannot be realized, unless done indirectly (ex. turning the atmosphere in the world into blades of wind that rips an enemy apart)

* * *

**Information on Servant Saber**

Personal Information:

True Name: Li Xingke  
Class: Saber  
Independent Champion of Eden Vital  
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Strength: B

Endurance: D

Agility: A+

Luck: E

Mana (Phantasm World): B

Noble Phantasm: C

Details:

"Forgive me. I believe it was a bit early for them to understand us, the Chinese Federation..." – Li Xingke

As a military officer of the Chinese Federation, Li Xingke is characterized by his fierce loyalty to the Empress Tianzi (instead of the Eunuchs that claim to represent her, but usually use her as a puppet), as well as his desire to help the impoverished citizens of China. His devotion to the Empress stems from a encounter long in the past, when she spared his life after he was caught giving medicine to a prisoner. He has a binding promise to the Tianzi that one day, he will help her leave the Forbidden City, so that they may see the world together, a promise strongly shapes Li's actions and agenda.

At the outbreak of the Eden Vital War, Xingke was chosen as one of the 5 independent champions of Eden Vital itself, meaning that he did not start under service to a Code-Bearer—and that his abilities as a servant were to be sealed until coming into contact with another. As of this date, he is the only nonawakened Servant, though events with Assassin threatened to unseal his abilities sooner rather than later.

As Servant Saber, Li is exceptionally skilled in close combat, especially with swords, capable of drawing his blade, striking, and sheathing it without his victims perceiving the blade being drawn or Li moving. He also possesses considerable skill as a Knightmare Frame pilot, though this strains his body almost to the breaking point. In addition, he is highly intelligent (on the level of Avenger, though lacking the mental partition ability), as well as well versed in tactics, making him a dangerous foe to face.

Similarly, in Phantasmagoria, Saber is one of the strongest of Servants, his ultimate Noble Phantasm rivaling that of Berserker himself, though he suffers from a lack of endurance, due to his physical self's terminal illness.

Skills:

**Riding**: B+  
Ability to ride / pilot things or creatures. Saber can ride most vehicles (including Knightmare Frames), up to and including those which require nearly superhuman skills, though he will suffer a two rank drop in Endurance if overly stressed

**Charisma**: C  
Natural talent to command an army. It increases the ability of one's army during mass combat. Charisma is a rare talent, and C-rank is enough to lead a large army.

**Vitrification**: B+  
A serene state of mind. A mental protection that nullifies mental interference. By limiting his fighting spirit as a martial artist, Saber can conceal his presence.

**Battle Continuation**: B  
Does not give up easily / the ability to stay alive. It allows for battle even on the verge of death, and allows the user to stay alive until they recieve a clearly fatal blow.

**Mind's Eye (True)**: B (C)  
A "combat logic" that allows for calm analysis of the situation and the enemy's ability in spite of danger, and consideration of all possible actions in a particular situation. If there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of success. However, if he is distracted during battle by a threat to the Tianzi, this ability is reduced by one rank.

**Expert of Many Specializations**: A  
A total of 32 different skills ranging from tactics, academia, espionage, assassination, swindling, rhetoric and others can be used with proficiency of Rank B or above

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Perception of Absolute Life**: Saber's Geass allows him to perceive the life force of living creatures in the form of lines and dots, with Saber being the only one who can interact with these lines and dots. These lines may be traced with a sharp object such as a knife or a sword, which consequently damages or annihilates one's life force-or can be used to easily cut a living being into pieces. Healing from physical damage caused by this is possible only if cutting the line doesn't completely separate a part of the object from the object itself.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Boundary of the Wind King**: C  
A mysterious wind that protects Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi like a scabbard. Through multiple layers of compressed and gyrated wind, it distorts the refraction of light and renders what is inside, the shape of the blade, completely invisible. As a secondary function, it can be used as a distance attack by releasing the compressed wind at once, acting like a hammer made out of wind.

**Volumen Hydragyrum** (anti-unit): B  
A battle tool of fluid metal manipulated by Saber's will, this Noble Phantasm has the ability to search, attack and defend. It can attack with the shape of a whip, a spear or a blade that rotates freely, sharper than a razor; like a current of hyper high pressure, it can even cut through titanium and diamond. However, as the attack of the whip or the blade relies on centrifugal force, the power is at the base, and none on the extremity; thus, knowledge of close-combat allows an opponent to read through the orbit of the attack.

**Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi** (anti-army): A++  
The sword recovered the body of Yamata no Orochi, Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi ("Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven") is a Saber's greatest Noble Phantasm, an ultimate fantasy existing as the crystallization of valor. It is a holy sword that converts the mana of the owner into light, intensifying the kinetic energy by convergence and acceleration, with the end result a wave of light that can mow through the surface of the Earth. To release this ultimate secret technique that holds an energy equaling the total of Saber's entire mana, both hands are needed. It is usually concealed within the Boundary of the Wind King, as its second function in myth was to control the winds themselves.


	11. Whirlpool of Fate

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Ashford Academy**

During his time at Ashford Academy, but especially his years on the Student Council, prince-in-exile Lelouch vi Britannia had become somewhat inured to the prospect of being dragged through strangeness and oddity in rather ignoble ways. Time after time, it happened, usually prompted by the sound of Milly's voice echoing over the school's PA system as she got the idea for one crazy idea or another-ideas centered around him, no less. The cross-dressers' ball, the absolute silence party, swimsuit day, the Valentine Cupid event, dress up like a cat day, the Miss Ashford Academy competition (with Lelouch forcibly dragged into entering by Milly in his cross-dressing guise as "Lulu Ashford"—though how in the world he had managed to snag first runner up was something he'd rather not think about), and more besides…he had just about come to expect (and maybe even enjoy, though he'd deny it if anyone asked) the bits of madness surrounding him, a true testament to the human ability to adapt.

These events, however, did not prepare him for the sight of a thundering herd of students gathered around a cordoned off area in the courtyard of Ashford Academy—with all of them bursting into cheers as they caught sight of the Vice President.

"Yeah, he's here!" one of the more rabid fangirls shouted, a whoop of delight issuing from her lips.

"Ashford's own Knightmare Pilot!" another exclaimed, remembering the annual event where Lelouch would give a demonstration of his skills. "And he's going to be the one making the pudding today, this is awesome!"

"YEAH…ALL HAIL LELOUCH!" someone else piped up, catchy words that rippled through the crowd in waves, until all the students were chanting "ALL HAIL LELOUCH!" as the Servant in question approached the event area, where the other members of the Student Council-save Kallen-were waiting for him.

'_What's going on? Did Milly organize yet another event while I was out in the city yesterday?'_ Avenger wondered, instantly coming up with several possibilities for what could have happened. _'Perhaps she called while my cell phone was off? No…maybe she wanted to embarrass me? Perhaps I slept until the School Festival? No, the Knightmare piloting event never attracted _that_ much attention anyway. Or…'_

And then his eyes caught sight of a familiar azure and gold Knightmare Frame, next to what looked like a giant mixing bowl sitting on a stove and a monstrous pile of bagged ingredients.

'…_I knew it. This is one of Milly's harebrained stunts, isn't it? What is it this time? Making the World's largest pizza? No…there's no oven, so…the world's largest…crepe?'_

Deciding that he might as well get the initial bit over with, Lelouch vi Britannia strode, with as much casual dignity he could manage, to join the other members of the Council on their platform, with the crowd cheering him as he passed, showering the lad with adulation.

'_Well…I suppose things could be worse,'_ he grudgingly admitted to himself. _'At least C.C. isn't here demanding to be given pizza today – no doubt due to the earnest efforts of Tamaki as Pizza Supplier…or perhaps Pudding Supplier would be more accurate. And there are no other Servants in the crowd that I can sense…at least for now.'_

There was, after all, a certain thrill in participating in Milly's events, almost like when he gambled on chess games, or strategized to embarrass Britannia—but then, she was an opponent that knew him well, and one who had a hold on some of his greatest weaknesses (aside from his physical weaknesses, since everyone had him beaten there). For she knew all too well of his true identity as Lelouch vi Britannia, the prince-in-exile that had long been thought dead—it was largely thanks to her and her family that he could continue his life of secrets and lies.

As the Servant finally set foot upon the stage, he could see Kallen approaching the platform from the other side, as the rest of the Student Council turned to welcome him.

"Lulu! There you are!" Shirley babbled in a rush. "Everyone's been waiting for you!"

The prince-in-exile merely raised an eyebrow at the strange circumstance, but managed to give one of his enigmatic smiles to the crowd anyway, causing a number of first year girls to swoon.

"Waiting for me?" repeated Servant Avenger, his tone rather dry, but amused all the same. "I never would have guessed."

Then a mass of red hair peeked over the stairs, as Kallen, too, stepped on the stage, wondering just what was going on. After a night of warehouse raids on known drug distribution centers, she was slightly tired and out of it—but at least she could pass it off as simply not feeling well, due to her cover identity.

"What is…all this?" Kallen asked, puzzled. "And why is everyone chanting 'All Hail Lelouch'?"

And then Suspect Number One for the cause of this aberration (that was to say, Milly Ashford), decided to speak, one of her trademark sly expressions on her face as she looked at her childhood friend and subordinate.

"Can't you tell, Lelouch? You're the star of the show," the curvaceous blond shot back saucily. "It's not like we have many other Knightmare pilots at Ashford."

Of course, she didn't know that Kallen was a devicer as well, and one skilled enough to have been chosen by Eden Vital as Servant Rider for that matter, but that was a whole other issue entirely. Still, this left Kallen rather curious as to why Lelouch's skill as a pilot would be of interest here—and how he had learned to pilot in the first place.

"Knightmare pilot?" Kallen ended up repeating, pretending to be slightly confused, as might be expected of a sheltered daughter of a noble family. "Lelouch is?"

_'Of course I know he's a Knightmare pilot after Shinjuku...but where did he learn to pilot in the first place?'_

"Yeah, Lulu always the pilots the Ashford Family's Ganymede during the school cultural festival every year," Milly replied, the corners of her blue eyes crinkling with mirth. "A bit of an antique, but its always the center of attention, along with our Lulu, the prince of…Ashford Academy."

Had other people not been looking, Lelouch would have shot his childhood friend a murderous glare. She did enjoy teasing him just a little too much and flirting with disaster—but then, turnabout was fair play, he supposed.

_'And I'm not entirely innocent of that myself.'_

"Why do I have a bad feeling that I'm going to feature in one of your strange events again?" Avenger asked, trying to convey a sense of being victimized and not enjoying the attention one bit.

Unsurprisingly, Milly didn't buy it.

"Strange events? Whatever could have made you think that?" Milly pouted, an expression of mock hurt on her face. Then she sobered, if only for a moment. "Anyway, this time it was grandfather's idea. You know the background of the Ashford family, so you understand, right?"

"Then this is something to restore the family's status," surmised Lelouch vi Britannia, his mind processing the consequences of this, and running through what it likely meant. "I assume that this has something to do with the celebration of the new Governor General's ascension? Better than yet another arranged marriage attempt—which always seem to end up failing somehow."

Milly only chuckled and stepped back, cuing the shy Nina Einstein to explain. While somewhat bookish, Nina could relate the facts just as well as Milly could-or perhaps better in this particular situation, given how well versed she was in her field of research – one that pretty much guaranteed that she would run across the names of Cecile Croomy and Lloyd Asplund.

"Since Governor General Asplund is apparently a Knightmare Designer of some renown," Nina began, looking…rather excited at the prospect of meeting her idol, "and it is well known that he likes pudding-"

Kallen, already having guessed what would come next, could hardly repress a snort of amusement, forcing herself to simply titter quietly, as a Britannian noblewoman of her standing was supposed to do, instead of burst out laughing. Still, she shot Lelouch a look that said she'd remember this as prime comedic material for ages to come.

"—I'm going to use the Ganymede to make the world's largest pudding?" Lelouch filled in, intending the question as a joke.

Milly just looked at him.

"You're...kidding," Avenger said, not quite willing to accept this as his role.

But the Student Council President's eyes did not leave the prince, as she smirked at him, waiting for him to cave. After a few moments, he did so gracefully, as if it were simply a matter of giving into the inevitable.

"…you're not kidding. Well, alright I guess," the prince-in-exile conceded, only to be rewarded with a breathtaking smile from the curvaceous blonde. "Lead the way."

With that, Milly led her old friend towards the azure and gold Knightmare Frame that the prince's mother had once piloted back when she had been one of the Knight of Rounds, Marianne "the Flash" Lamperouge.

The two talked quietly to one another, hands brushing against one another as they walked sided by side, reminded of old times when they played together.

"Are you sure you'll be ok piloting?" Milly asked once they arrived at the base of the Knightmare. "It won't be too much pressure with the Governor General expected to attend, right?"

What she wasn't saying directly was that if they went through with this, there was a slim chance that his identity and existence-which he had long tried to conceal-might be exposed.

"What are you saying, that you'd pilot the Ganymede?" Lelouch rejoined, smirking ever so slightly. "I didn't know you could…"

"Hey, I didn't grow up an Ashford without learning to pilot," the blonde shot back with a huff. "Just as you didn't grow up a Lamperouge without at least some skill at it. You are your mother's son after all."

"Well, as long as I stay inside the cockpit of the frame, I should be ok, right?" Avenger reasoned. His old identity was legally dead to the world, after all, and only a few people would recognize him for who he was.

"Yeah, but just in case, take these."

Milly fished out a black cap and a pair of stylish shades from two of her pockets, handing them to the worried Lelouch.

"Thanks Milly," Avenger replied warmly, as he accepted the two items—as well as a communicator headphone, with their hands lingering together just a few moments more than necessary. "You're the best."

"You know it, Lamperouge," she responded faintly, before pulling back her hand and winking at him. "Now hurry up, you have a pudding to mix, got it?"

"Got it."

With that, the son of famed Knightmare pilot Marriane 'the Flash' put on the cap and shades, boarded the Ganymede and started it up, beginning the demonstration with a wave to the crowd, who roared in approval.

"ALL HAIL LELOUCH! ALL HAIL LELOUCH!"

And as most of the Student Council shuffled over to the control booth, Kallen could only wonder who exactly had put the crowd up to this…as well as what the next wild event was going to be.

'_It will be interesting to see…Euphie again.'_

* * *

**Vermillion Forbidden City in Luoyang, Chinese Federation**

"An interesting character, this Zero," commented a somewhat nasal voice, as the High Eunuchs were convened, discussing the possible repercussions of the appearance of the masked vigilante and his "knights." "Is it true then, that Area 11 has recalled their Sutherlands, the bulk of their Knightmare forces?"

To most outsiders, these would have appeared to be a group of eight simple men, officials sworn to serve the Empress—but that would have been a lie. The Empress was nothing more but a puppet in the Chinese Federation, and it was in the hands of these men where the power to rule rested, greedy ambitious men who would like nothing more than to hold the reins of the world.

"So recent intelligence would indicate, Your Excellencies," reported a military officer dressed in red. This was General Cao, commandant of the Militarized Zone of Liaodong, a territory on the eastern seaboard of the Chinese Federation. "As well, their newest Governor General is not especially…experienced in the art of war."

It was only natural that the status of Area 11 would be of interest to these men, as it was one of the great frustrations of the Chinese Federation that they had never been able to seize that territory for themselves, either before the Second Pacific War or afterwards, since Japan had surrendered too quickly to the Britannians for any intervention to be possible. As such, the unrest that they were seeing from the territory intrigued them.

"If I am not mistaken, we are the host of the Japanese government in exile, correct?" one of the eight assembled Eunuchs inquired of the General. "Led by Chief Cabinet Secretary of the former Japanese government, Sawasaki Atsushi, yes?"

"Correct on both counts, Lord Qian," the military officer confirmed with a curt nod. Face impassive, he looked from one Eunuch to the rest, an idea in his mind. "Are you suggesting…?"

"If unrest in Area 11 continues, then it would simply be humane for us to intervene, would it not?" another of the Eunuchs stated. "Since under Britannia's rule the people are oppressed, this would be the perfect opportunity to...liberate them."

Left unstated was the truly delightful prospect of gaining control over 70% of the world's sakuradite resources, a coup that would leave the Holy Britannian Empire at a loss, while simultaneously empowering the Chinese Federation militarily and economically.

"Tell me, General Cao, what of the reports of the Witch of Britannia's arrival in Area 11? Will she pose a credible threat to a possible intervention?" yet another one of the High Eunuchs questioned sharply. Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia, the Chief General of Britannia's Imperial Army, was known to be a terror on the battlefield, and her presence in Area 11 made things rather more difficult.

Or they would have, had the Governor General of Area 11 not already launched his ambitious but foolhardy program of Knightmare refurbishment. While it might eventually pay large dividends to Britannia, it had the immediate effect of drastically weakening their military might – meaning that not only would the rebels be on a more even footing with their oppressive overlords, but that any outside agency that wished to intervene would find themselves with more than favorable odds.

"We have more than enough Gun-Ru, Longdan, and troops to make up for this, Your Excellencies," the general replied, mentally assessing the military district's available forces. "And may I suggest as a force commander my protégé, Li Xingke."

"Interesting," one of the High Eunuchs replied, "though he has a little too much devotion to the Tianzi instead of the Federation as a whole. Still…"

"He is a prodigy," General Cao acknowledged. "If we wish to ensure the capture of Area 11, then it may be prudent to have him lead the initial strike."

"Indeed…then we shall wait for an opportunity and strike. Thanks to the chaos of Zero, Area 11 will soon be ours."

In the shadows of the room, Li Xingke, acting as the aide to General Cao, simply watched, saying nothing.

* * *

**Mobile Command Center, Black Knights HQ**

While Avenger and Rider were back at Ashford Academy, the immortal Code-bearer C.C. had remained behind to deal with other business. It would not be safe for her to be seen in public outside of her costume, especially not when members of the royal family might be present, or her face might be captured on film. More to the point, she had no need for a sample of the world's largest pudding, no matter what type of pudding it might be—had it been the world's largest pizza, things may have been different, but as it was…

'…_the mail has piled up. Again."_

Besides, with the growing numbers of Black Knights, the immortal supposed that someone needed to make sure they didn't eat her pizz—that is, maintained a good level of morale. If they didn't end up looking completely ridiculous, masked vigilante types tended to be good at inspiring a sense of mystery and awe, so while not planning operations, all C.C. had to do to bolster the mood was simply be present, letting her underlings know that the famed Zero was among them.

'_And of course supervisory work to ensure that Tamaki doesn't overspend on desserts and lavish banquets for recruitment…'_

Not for the first time, she was glad that she had delegated the work of handling finances to Ohgi (as a second choice to Avenger, who was not present), since the Black Knights' funds were somewhat limited without much leeway for extravagance. True, their coffers had been flush as of late, thanks mostly to their returns from raids on criminal elements, whose black money could not be traced—raids that had the pleasant side effect of boosting public support…or at least softening public opposition—but they still couldn't afford to waste money on trivial things.

'_And in chaotic raids upon more than one location at once, having two commanders is often…useful, so that the members don't come to rely on any one style of battle too much. Avenger is certainly skilled in strategy, but he tends to be overly specific in the orders he gives—if he were to vanish, the result would be disastrous in battle.'_

This was why Avenger and Rider made a good team, because Avenger helped to curb Rider's impulsive nature (if only a bit), and Rider encouraged independent action.

As for C.C. herself…

'_Seeing how my style of l__eadership has developed through the ages is an interesting thing…'_

_Rap! Rap! Rap!_

Just then came a knocking from the wall, as Kaname Ohgi, Secretary and Liaison officer of the Black Knights, strode into the conference room, bearing a letter. With the man having just returned from a mission, something about his bearing made it seem that whatever he had to say was more important than his usual report.

Without a word, the man handed the letter to Zero, who took it, looking questioningly at the man.

"What is it?" the Geass Witch inquired. Obviously, it was something that needed to be brought to her attention immediately, so she imagined it was time sensitive.

"A love letter," the Liaison Officer replied, smirking.

"From you?" came the reply, as the Grey Witch raised a slender eyebrow under her mask. "Sorry, not interested."

"Heh…and some of the recruits say you have no sense of humor," Ohgi responded, clearing his throat. "It's a letter from Kyoto."

"How very interesting," C.C. acknowledged, as she opened the envelope and had a look at the contents. All at once, her tone grew hushed, almost respectful. "Well, well…"

"What is it?" the Liaison Officer asked, curious as to what the Six Houses of Kyoto had sent to the Black Knights.

"It appears that we will soon be receiving a shipment of Knightmares from the Kyoto group," Zero responded, rather pleased with this development. "Including two experimental frames developed by the Military Zone of India."

'_Interesting. Two experimental Knightmare frames for our use,' _C.C. thought to herself, thinking about who to assign them to. _'Rider is the obvious choice for one, and as for the other…'_

Zero supposed it would only be right if she were to pilot that frame herself, seeing as it was probably sent to the Order of Black Knights because of her little "demonstration" of how far from normal she was. While her raw piloting abilities might not be on the level of Servant Rider, in all likelihood, she would serve well enough...

'_Besides, Avenger might not be able to stand the strain of piloting such a demanding frame._ _That, and it would be dangerous to draw too much attention to Avenger on the battlefield, due to his command style. If I'm to act as a decoy to draw in enemy Servants, I should make the charade as believable as possible. No doubt, our enemies will believe Avenger and myself to be in those two frames…so one might as well defy their expectations. Such will leave Avenger unobserved, free to coordinate the battle from relative safety, as he would not be singled out by the enemy.'_

It was rather _interesting_ how things were playing into her hands just as she had foreseen they would. For all V.V.'s ambition, the younger immortal was less than a hundred years old, and was rather fresh at the game of war, while C.C. had experience spanning millennia. The specifics as to how humans killed one another may have changed in that timeframe, but human nature and their tendencies remained the same, so it was a matter of separating out relevant things, like how to deceive.

"So, these may be a match for the White Knightmare from Shinjuku?" Ohgi asked after a moment. He remembered all too well how that weapon had torn through their captured Sutherlands with ease, until it had been mysteriously been disabled—by Zero, apparently.

"Indeed so, Ohgi," the enigmatic commander of the Black Knights replied. "Hopefully with these…we may even manage to capture it. Either way, this is a good first step towards evening the odds in our war against Britannia. But, speaking of odds…"

"Yes, Zero?" the Liaison Officer inquired. "You have a task for me, I presume?"

"Yes, Ohgi," Zero confirmed, standing and studying her subordinate. "I wish for you to contact the Japanese Liberation Front, the largest of the resistance organizations that currently exist. Specifically, cultivate resources that you believe would be suitable to join the Order of Black Knights, in case of a sudden shift in the situation. For if I am not mistaken, they will soon be under attack."

"Oh? What makes you think so?"

"The new sub-viceroy of Japan is Princess Euphemia li Britannia," elaborated the masked woman of mystery. "And where she is found, her sister Cornelia, the ruthless general enemies call the 'Witch of Britannia', is never far behind."

The former resistance cell leader's eyes widened at that statement. That piece of information he had not known, though it was good of Zero to explain her reasoning.

"At once then, Zero," the man acknowledged. "I will not disappoint you."

"See that you don't."

'_I wonder how you will fare in the end, Avenger, in this Eden Vital War. Will you be able to strike down a foe without mercy, even if he is a friend? What will you do for victory, for the key to overturning everything?'_

* * *

**Ashford Academy**

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for waiting!" the energetic voice of Milly Ashford called out over the PA system of the school. "The making of the World's Largest Pudding, an open event in celebration of our new Governor General's ascension, is about to start! The signal will be the sound of this voice."

A slight pause.

"Meow!" came the voice of Nunnally vi Britannia, as fireworks shot up into the air.

With that, the crowds stopped their chanting of "LULU! LULU! LULU!" and simply cheered, as the Knightmare Frame swung into motion, beginning the preparations for the great pudding, of which everyone present would be able to partake when finished.

In the distance, Governor General Lloyd Asplund watched the proceedings, having managed to evade his tangle of guards and coterie, thus allowing him to enjoy at the event unbothered by the usual concerns of bureaucrats. He was accompanied only by the Sub-Viceroy of Area 11, Third Imperial Princess Euphemia li Britannia, as well as his assistant Cecile Croomy, who saw it as her role to make sure he looked at least somewhat presentable. Indeed, she had managed to force him to wear something more fitting for the occasion – a dashing suit of dark blue edged with gold, all atop a ruffled shirt of white, the ensemble proving rather flattering to his features.

"Ganymede, a third generation Knightmare, the type used by Lady Marrianne the Flash," the Earl of Pudding commented, seemingly more interested in the Knightmare than the giant pudding being created. "An unorthodox design dropped for the next generation of knightmares due to her death."

"Is that the real reason why you chose to come to this event?" Euphemia asked of the Governor General, unwilling to believe that it had not been in appreciation of the people's generosity.

"So now you get it," Cecile interjected, adding her own observation. "He has no concept whatsoever of proper political mores, or proper human feelings for that matter."

"Well, I get the general idea," the Governor General protested, but not too much, as he knew he wouldn't be believed.

Princess Cornelia li Britannia was not present, as she was back at the Government Bureau, planning an attack on one of the myriad rebel groups that remained in Area 11. She would wipe out the small ones first, eliminating them one by one, thus eliminating any potential allies for the Order of Black Knights. And if they should intervene...then Cornelia would be able to force a decisive confrontation sooner.

Sitting somewhere in the crowd, Assassin lurked, waiting for a chance to strike. The boy had sensed the presence of a Servant nearby, though he couldn't be sure exactly where, since a dense smell of fire and blood seemed to blanket the grounds, severely disorienting his senses like a sort of psychic pressure. Anyway, with the presence of so many people—and the Governor General himself—it would unwise for him to kill off the person in the physical world.

'_So a battle in phantasmagoria it is then…' _Rolo resolved, moving slowly towards the general direction where a Servant could be sensed and focusing his will upon that nearby presence.

_'__**Momento Mori.'**_

A moment later, a cry went up from somewhere near the control booth as Servant Rider collapsed.

"Kallen?"

The distant word wafted in the breeze over to Princess Euphemia, whose eyes widened at the mention of the name.

'_Kallen?'_

_

* * *

_

**Phantasm World of Assassin – "Momento Mori"**

When Kallen next opened her eyes, she found herself in an alien world. Once again, she was in her Champion form, clad in what seemed to be a skintight red and black tubedress, with an addition of detachable sleeves that served more like leather gauntlets, and a red headband across her brow like the one she wore in combat. Her red hair flowed down past her feet, spiky still, but seemed to shift here and there as with a life of its own—searching for prey to drain of life force. And in her hands were the familiar set of chained daggers she had used against Avenger.

Unlike Avenger's personal battlefield, this world was a dense forest of charred trees, their wooden corpses casting long shadows, as the hazy light of a crimson moon shone down from overhead. White ash and charcoal littered the ground below, and scraggly burned underbrush rose from the scorched earth.

_'Shadows, limited vision, many places from which to strike from ambush...a forest of death...my mobility as Rider is limited in this place. This must be Assassin's world.'_

But Kallen was unafraid, simply clutching her daggers and looking around for any sign of movement.

_'But first...'_

She invoked the ability _"_**_For Someone Else's Honor"_,** taking on the guise of Zero so as to continue the masquerade she had arranged with Avenger's master. Besides, the black clothing of Zero would be more useful in this shadow world than her red garments anyway...

_Whir! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!_

Sensing danger, Rider whirled about, deflecting daggers tossed in her direction from somewhere in the shadows.

_Clink! Clink! Thud! Thud!_

In the distance, the Black Knight thought she saw a glint of moving white, and smiled, now having a sense for the location of her prey.

"Alright, you Britannian bastard...let's dance!"

_

* * *

**A/N: **The Chinese Federation plots to invade! The Black Knights will receive two experimental Knightmares! Rider vs Assassin coming up next! As always, reviews are appreciated!_


	12. Faceless Warrior

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Phantasm World of Assassin – "Momento Mori"**

Two Servants faced off in a world dense with the remains of charred trees, their blackened corpses casting long shadows in the night, as the faint light of a bloody moon shone down from overhead, staining the lifeless battlefield crimson. The ground of this desolate expanse is coated with white ash and charcoal, with scraggly remains of scorched underbrush arising from the earth.

This was Assassin's world, a place full of shadows and obstacles to sight, a place that hindered the movement of intruders, a forest of death. An ideal place from which to ambush a superior foe, or conceal oneself in the darkness to avoid attack—a place that would nullify Rider's agility, if she let it, trapping her in dense brush and leaving her vulnerable to attack.

'_Bring it on, Britannian.'_

But Kallen was unafraid, having donned the guise of Zero in this Phantasm World, searching already for the glimpse of moving white she had seen, standing ready to repel any attacks with the chained daggers in her hand.

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! _

From the darkness, thrown daggers lanced out, four lethal strikes aiming for Rider's forehead, throat, heart and stomach—

_Clang!_

—only to be repelled in a shower of sparks, as Kallen merely slashed them from the air, her instinct in battle serving her well and warning her of danger.

_Pitter-pat! Pitter-pat!_

The sound of footsteps, as a shadow slithered from tree to tree with the speed of a running beast — faster than Rider herself could manage—the only thing discernable in the faint light a smiling skull-like mask.

If the two Servants were to clash on the open field, Rider would be able to simply annihilate him with the power of her caging hair, draining him of lifeforce. But Assassin already suspected something of that sort, after witnessing the power of Rider's Geass in action, and thus used projectile weapons, retreating into the shadows to prevent himself from being seen and targeted by Rider's Noble Phantasm.

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!_

Another three daggers were shot without warning at Rider, moving too quickly for mere human eyes to follow—but once again had no effect against Rider, whose form simply blurred momentarily as preternatural instincts screamed at her to dodge, the dark knives embedding themselves in the scorched earth.

'_Such a coward's game…could it be that this is his only weapon?'_

If that truly were the case, then Kallen would have a distinct advantage. True, daggers could be fatal if they struck any vital points, but otherwise, were no different from throwing stones—and Rider's abilities allowed her to use the sound of the cutting air and the enemy's murderous intent to read the course of the attack.

Yet, even these defenses could be overwhelmed by sheer volume, right?

_Fsh! Fsh! Fsh!_

Assassin's black cloak billowed out behind him as he leaped about the killing field, jumping from forest floor to tree, from tree to shadow, hurling daggers from each position. Coming from all directions, he reasoned, the daggers should be impossible to block or avoid.

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!_

Dozens of knives were launched from every angle, every point, the sheer number of projectiles blocking out what moonlight was present as they angled towards Rider in a deadly black rain, slashing through the sky. The relentless onslaught carpeted the floor in knives within seconds, but the white-skulled Servant mercilessly continued his brutal assault, as if to ensure the destruction of the enemy, sending razor-edged blade after razor-edged blade.

Perhaps it was unreasonable to use so much effort against a single foe, but—

"Wha—?"

A sudden hiss of irritated surprise, the first words that had escaped Assassin's lips since the battle began. His attack had failed.

'_They…didn't hit her?'_

Not a single one of the daggers had struck Zero, their intended target. As if to mock him, Rider had not moved, and was standing in the middle of that field of blades unscathed, innumerable strands of hair-like light pulsing around her form as if to form a protective shield of heat and haze.

Assassin just stared—this was impossible. An attack from all angles had been repelled without a trace of movement?

'_So…a ranged attack is useless against Rider,'_ the white-skulled Servant thought with a frown, looking down at the blades that should have ensured him a quick kill. _'Even in conditions of limited visibility and mobility, she managed a perfect defense…I may have to use my Noble Phantasms after all.'_

Meanwhile, Rider stood motionless, eyes peering into the shadows, sensing from where the attacks had come.

'_You like to hide, don't you?'_ Kallen mused with a smirk. _'Well…in that case, I'll just have to burn you out.'_

Her smile was frenzied now, fueled once again with bloodlust and hatred towards Britannians, and even from a distance, Assassin could not escape the stifling power of her killing intent. He attempted to stop any impending attack by countering with his daggers, but she dodged as if by instinct, moving aside just enough to avoid the path of his weapons, barely even slowing as he discharged blade after blade after blade.

_Whoosh!_

A powerful surge of red emanated from Rider's form, prehensile strands of fiery thread streaking out in all directions and anchoring to every point of solid matter in the forest, as if to capture the entire Phantasmal World within a web of burning death.

"What…is this?" Assassin muttered, eyes wide, as breathing became difficult, the air around him heating up like a furnace, scorching his body and lungs, so that he could hardly stifle a scream of pain. "This overwhelming murderous aura…"

In Avenger's World, Rider had been unable to use this wide-area attack, the ultimate form of Origami, as the barren wasteland of blood and destruction had lacked structures about which her web of caging hair could be woven. There, she had been limited to confronting the demon king face to face—but here, the disadvantages posed to her by Assassin's world (the obstacles and barriers to vision posed by the charred forest) were also her greatest strength.

'_Since this assassin keeps attacking from cover, I'll just turn the forest into a firestorm!'_

So Kallen thought as crimson strands snaked outward through the darkness, spreading through the Phantasm World without limits, incinerating what they touched. Either Assassin could come out of hiding and face her—or else his escape routes would be cut off, and the white-skulled servant would suffer a slow and lingering death as his life-force was drained.

From his vantage point in the forest, Assassin had just about come to that conclusion himself.

'_It seems that maintaining distance between us has been a mistake,'_ the Britannian Servant realized, clutching his knives in his hands. _'But perhaps…'_

After the use of such a powerful technique, there was a slim chance that Rider's guard would be lowered—with the eventual inevitability of Assassin's defeat lulling her into a false sense of security. And if that was the case…

'_I can exploit it,'_ Assassin thought grimly, daggers clutched tightly in hand. His opponent had come to expect ranged attacks from him—but he was also capable of fighting in close, using his frightening ability to control his body's flow of time. _'This much, she won't anticipate._ _**Innate Time Control – Accelerando**_.'

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!_

Launching another barrage of daggers as a diversion to from his true intention, Assassin charged, his body streaking forward in bullet time as he leapt for Rider's immobile form. With this, he thought, he should be able to close in with a step and stab his enemy before she even noticed.

Yet as he struck, strands of prehensile fire deflected the thrown blades, as Rider countered, her instinctive movements blurring once again as she whirls to block Assassin's weapons with her own.

_Clang!_

The attack aimed for Rider's neck was repelled at once, and the black figure of Assassin vaults overhead to land behind her. In a flash, Kallen turned and slashed behind her, intending to bisect the pesky Britannian Servant—but Assassin had already jumped out of range.

'_One more time…I might damage myself, but…__**Innate Time Control – Triple Accelerando!**_"

Faster, faster, faster than before, Assassin lunged, body shooting like a snake for an unsuspecting chick, launching blows to neck, forehead, thigh, gut!

_'He's...faster than me?'_

Rider whirled, shooting forward to counter, the weapons of the two figures crashing in midair—and then…

_Clang! Clang! Clang!_

"Guh!"

A sharp pain radiated from Kallen's gut, from which the handle of a black knife protruded. Though she had managed to block the first three blows, the fourth managed to wound her for the first time in this encounter.

'_Die, Britannian!'_

Incensed, Rider simply glared, her rage transforming the air into aura of burning red as her bright blue eyes fixed on Assassin's body, sending a torrent of fiery red racing forward in greater volume than the Assassin could stop, the fiery aura wrapping around his arms and legs. Her aura roiled and churned like a living creature, the heat in the air increasing without limit as she looked upon her assailant, draining him without remorse.

"It ends here, Assassin!" the Ace of the Black Knights barked harshly. "You sought battle, and now you die!"

_Sizzle!_

The air itself smelled of burning as Assassin's form was enveloped in a haze of flame, the pain maddening to bear—but the Britannian was not done yet.

_Swish!_

Stumbling back in agony, Assassin swung his daggers, tearing himself free of the strands with a flurry of slashes as he attempted to retreat. But—

_Squelch!_

In his haste to escape the binding hair, Assassin had been unable to track the weapon in Rider's hand—a deadly mistake, as one of those chained daggers was now piercing his shoulder. Still, all was not lost from a non-lethal stab wound, as he could simply take hold of the dagger and—

"Kuh-I can't pull it out?"

Then with a clinking of chain links…

"Whaaaaat?ǃ"

…Rider hurled Assassin through the air.

_Thud! Crack! Smash! _

"Gah! Urk! Guh!"

From the skull mask issued groans and grunts of agony, as without a word, Rider mercilessly swung Assassin about his own world of death, swinging him through many burning strands of fire, against trees and rocks and ground. Unable to react, unable to escape, Assassin was smashed against every possible surface, his limbs bending in impossible directions as sickening _cracks _were heard.

Was it the sound of ribs breaking? Arms, legs? Who knew?

"Gah, kagaaaaaa!"

After flailing Assassin about to her content, Rider smirked as she spun round and round and round, building up speed and momentum, using centrifugal force as she let go, sending her foe flying as through from a hammer throw.

_Thud!_

Assassin, bones broken, blood flowing from numerous wounds, was slammed into a tree head first like a piece of worthless trash, bouncing and skidding on the burnt ground, his cloak like a second skin torn off, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

"I suppose I was never a match against you in direct combat," the white-skulled figure whispered, just loud enough for Kallen to hear. "I am an Assassin after all, a being who lurks in shadow. So…you should just disappear."

Murderous intent lit up the eyes behind the skull, as traces of magical energy gathered in Assassin's right arm, a deformed monstrosity bound by folds of cloth beneath the black cloak. It had no hand, and could hold a dagger…but now the folds of cloth were shaken off, and with the _snap _breaking bones, what was hidden was revealed, flapping like a tattered wing.

'_What the…?'_

At the sight of the cursed arm, Rider stepped back out of instinctual revulsion, feeling a sense of death radiating from the monstrous limb. The stump she had seen before was but the elbow, with the arm folded back, the hand stitched to Assassin's shoulder.

Rider's mind froze, realizing the danger of that arm, the Noble Phantasm **Zabaniya**, cursed with the ability to create a mirror image of a target's heart, a dual existence that resonates with the original.

_Whoosh!_

The cursed arm was thrust like a lance at Rider, towards—

'_What? Where is the mirror image of Rider's heart?'_

—nothing, since a being with a sufficiently high level of mana could prevent the image from being formed at all, and Rider's mana was of the top rank.

_Squelch! Sizzle!_

The sound of cutting meat and gushing blood rang within the clearing—as the arm was severed at the elbow in mid-flight by a molten stream of fiery hair.

"That was your final trump card? How pathetic," Kallen crowed triumphantly, turning the full force of _**Origami**_ on her foe, countless lances of flaming red rushing for Assassin in a wave of certain death as—

"_**Disengage**," _Rolo managed to croak out desperately, activating his ability to flee combat, vanishing only a moment before the fatal blow landed.

"Damn, he ran away," Kallen snarled, now left alone in this crumbling world of illusion. Then a troubled expression crossed her face as she realized just what the masked Servant had said. "But if he's Assassin, then his Geass…"

Alarmed, Kallen too vanished, departing from the world of death as quickly as she had come.

* * *

**Ashford Academy**

Rolo Haliburton forcibly suppressed a muffled scream of agony as his eyes snapped open and he returned to reality in a blaze of pain, the prior events in Phantasm World having confirmed his suspicions – that Zero was indeed a Champion, and one of extreme power. Of course, Assassin himself was not the strongest of Servants (that title usually going to Berserker), being specialized for killing in the physical world, but…

'_If Zero is really Servant Rider, then I was defeated without her having to employ her Noble Phantasm.'_

Which, in accordance with the class of Rider, should be a mount of some sort: a phantasmal beast, perhaps, a mythical creature, or something else entirely. But Assassin had seen no evidence of such a creature being summoned, and to him, this was a rather alarming thought, as this meant that Zero's full abilities were still unknown, making her a greater threat than ever before.

'_Her Geass is already quite potent, able to grant near absolute protection from projectiles…and if she is so very powerful within a Phantasm World as well, then…'_

"Ack!" Rolo coughed, feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in his middle of his chest. "I will have to fulfill my role as Assassin, since it's unlikely I'll have another opportunity."

For a Servant of considerable power, Zero's presence was very faint, leading Assassin to believe that she likely had some rank of Presence Concealment or a similar ability. And if Rolo were to let Rider free after his attempt to kill her, Zero would be aware that Assassin was after her head…and his enemy would no doubt be more difficult to find thereafter.

'_This means that my only option is to kill Rider here, before she can elude me,'_ the boy decided, rather unsatisfied with how things had gone. His ability to conceal himself, combined with his prowess in projectile weaponry and his Phantasm World, should have given him the advantage – but things had proved otherwise. _'And since I can't beat her in phantasmagoria, I'll have to use my Geass to finish things here.'_

The assassin's jaw set with grim resolve as he realized what he would have to do. Zero had chosen a rather ideal location to frustrate Assassin, given the presence of so many people, and the fact that this place was tainted by a spiritual miasma of fire and blood. However, at least most of the people were gathered in a crowd around the platform, which meant that he didn't have to extend his Geass to its full range—which would have had fairly negative side-effects, given the strain on his body imposed by the technique.

'_With this strange pressure on my abilities, I can't identity Zero unless I get closer,'_ Rolo thought to himself as he activated his Geass, the Ward of Absolute Suspension, a red sphere enveloping the crowd. _'Unlike Berserker, who may yet lead me to C.C., I have no reason to keep you alive, Zero. Thus, by order of master V.V, you must die...'_

The entire assemblage of people gathered their stage froze, as Rolo crept forward, drawing a combat knife from his pocket. This kill would have to be done quietly, so as not to attract attention until after the event—and the assassin, having seen the video of the Zero Intervention, worried that even a silenced gunshot would backfire, given Zero's demonstrated ability to reflect bullets. It was still uncertain to Rolo whether or not this Geass was something the masked figure had to consciously invoke or rather it activated automatically, to eliminate threats to Zero (thanks to the "shoot only if you are willing to yourselves be shot" line), so…it would be safer to finish this up close.

'_Now, where is Zero?'_

The assassin would have to act quickly, since his Geass would only hold for fifteen second bursts, and overuse of it could overburden his heart.

_There!_

The presence was faint, hazy through the mental interference, but it was there nonetheless. Taking his chance, Assassin advanced with all due speed towards the presence, reactivating his Geass as needed as he proceeded towards—

'_The Control Booth? As expected of Zero…to be watching from a place of concealment…'_

He picked up his pace, moving faster, breaking into run as he emerged out from the crowd into the open and—

"Guh!"

—a smoke bomb detonated in his face, obscuring his vision for a few precious seconds as—

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!_

—three kunais came streaking out of nowhere, embedding themselves with a sickening _thud_ in both wrists and his upper chest, the sudden pain forcing him to drop his weapon, even as—

_Smack!_

He received a boot to the face from…_a maid? _Then a flurry of palm thrusts, thrown with speed and strength Rolo did not expect, aimed at chest and neck and face — forcing the assassin to bring his arms up to protect his face-though with _snap-crack_, they were easily broken.

"Now, die, for Master Zero's sake!" came the voice once more, light glinting off the kunai aiming for his now-exposed neck—

"Seal time!" the Geass Directorate's assassin managed weakly, this time expanding his ward of Absolute Suspension to encompass the entire school. With his arms broken, and himself disarmed, all he could do now was retreat.

'_This mission was a failure…I didn't even manage to uncover Rider's identity. Was this all an elaborate trap that Zero set up for me?'_

With that, he fled the scene, the many kunai still embedded in his body.

_Thump!_

Once the effect of the assassin's Geass faded, and subjective time began to flow once more for the individuals there, Sayoko Shinozaki, newest member of the Black Knights and 37th successor of the Shinozaki School of martial arts, landed gracefully on her feet, heading towards the control booth from where the scream of "Kallen?" had arisen earlier.

There, the ninja found that Kallen Kozuki had already awakened, much to the relief of the student council and—

'_Why is the Sub-Viceroy of Area 11 here?'_

—the Third Imperial Princess, Euphemia li Britannia, who was crouched down beside her friend, clutching one of the redhead's hands in hers.

"Kallen, thank goodness you're alright," the pink-haired princess was saying, voice filled with concern. "I was worried when I heard someone shout your name. What happened earlier?"

"Euphie? What are you…?" Kallen managed weakly, her façade of frailty already in place. "Don't worry about me, it's just my anemia acting up again."

"Oh, I see. I was concerned about you, since we parted so suddenly the other day," Euphemia said gently, moving to help Kallen sit up. "We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye before I was whisked back to the Government Bureau."

"Well, now you know where I go to school," the redhead replied lightly, a small smile gracing her lips. "I mean, it is a little hard to miss, with the biggest pudding in the world and all."

The two shared a small chuckle at that, which, of course led to whispering between the other members of the Student Council, the gossip mill wondering just how Kallen and the Sub-Viceroy knew one another, with Shirley looking from Kallen to Euphemia…and then to where Lelouch sat piloting the Ganymede, apparently unaware of what was going on.

'…_how could Kallen do this? First she steals Lulu, and now she's cheating on him with the Sub-Viceroy?ǃ'_

_

* * *

_

**Tokyo Settlement**

At the moment, Rolo Haliburton was not a happy man. After fleeing Ashford Academy, with his arms broken, and the only thing preventing him from bleeding to death being the kunais still stuck in his chest, he had intended to get someone to call an ambulance—or report to the military base with his Secret Intelligence Service identification code to get treatment—but that course of action had been barred from him.

For one thing, most of the city seemed to be gathered within the gates of Ashford Academy for the Governor General's celebration. For another…someone (or perhaps several someones) had been trailing him ever since he left the campus, and though he had used his Geass to freeze them in place as he noticed them, giving him time to get away, somehow or another, they always managed to pick up his trail.

'_Could it be the Black Knights?' _he asked himself, wondering just how he had attracted so much attention. '_A coordinated operation to eliminate me after I attacked their leader? No, but the way they are moving, it's as if they already expected me. Then…was Zero's presence at Ashford a trap?'_

If it was, then the assassin had fallen for it, hook line and sinker.

Invoking his Geass once more, he moved to get out of his enemies' line of sight, turning into a space between two buildings, only to come face to face—or rather face to mask—with a nightmare.

Zero was standing in the shadows motionless, as if waiting for the Servant, the metallic glint of a firearm peeking out from her signature black cape.

Knowing he had only a moment to escape otherwise certain death, Rolo activated his Geass—only to look on in horror as it failed, with Zero's head tilting ever so slightly to the side.

_'No...that's impossible. How can she be moving? My Geass is supposed to freeze subjective time completely!' _the assassin thought in panic, only for the masked vigilante to interrupt his thoughts.

"With this, I call checkmate."

So Zero spoke, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction as she pulled the trigger.

_Crack!_

And thus Assassin became the second Servant to fall in the Eden Vital War, as C.C. slipped away into the darkness, signaling her Knights that the task at hand had been cleared.

* * *

**Geass Directorate**

Within the underground temple complex that served as Britannia's foremost research laboratory on Geass, V.V sat before a thought elevator, a frown marring his features as he _felt_ the death of Assassin, finding the news difficult to believe. Yet the bond of Code-bearer and Champion did not lie, and the spike of nausea washing over his head had been rather clear —Rolo Haliburton was dead, presumably at the hands of Zero.

_'First Archer is slain before leading us to C.C., and now Assassin, my only champion in the area, falls as well. I will have to suggest to Charles that Cornelia's first target should be the Black Knights...with the deployment of both Lancer and Berserker on the field, even Rider should be hard pressed to survive, much less succeed.'_

Nevertheless, two of the seven were now dead, and all the Code-bearer needed was to have the last remaining champion when all was said and done, so it was not too bad of a loss. Rolo, while a useful tool, had never been intended to survive until the endgame anyway. Pawns did have to be sacrificed for the sake of greater objectives, after all.

_'At least this way, we have gained a little more data on our most dangerous foe so far...the one named Zero.' _

_

* * *

_

**A/N**: Isn't it interesting when a Servant underestimates an opponent? Or when everything goes. Just As Planned? Thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated.


	13. Illusionary Serenade

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Faded Memories**

It was a night with a beautiful moon, and for once, the Shadow wasn't doing anything, just watching the moon from the white cliffs of Dover, scythe across her lap as the evening mist drifted towards the shore. Below her on the foam-flecked sea, waves roiled, boiled, coiled and rolled, crashing against spires of rock with a roar, shining with the reflected light of the watery moon. Even though it was winter, the air wasn't cold, at least not for her, even as her breaths were puffs of fog in the night—she had walked through much colder ages in her endless time.

Gold eyes bright as the sun itself, a white dress that rustled and flapped in the wind, flowing waves of hair full silver in the moonlight—and a scythe like a demon's claw that marked her as the Reaper, as the world's Shadow.

In a sense, the woman and her scythe were reflections of one another, their fates bound to one another from the dawn of the age, for she had chosen to take up its burden of her own will.

Even as she rested her body in the wind under the midnight sky, her soul was still on the eternal battlefield to which she had sworn herself. For she could not forsake her oath, her geass that she had yet to fulfill: to protect the world as best she could, and in so doing, protect Eden Vital, from where fate draws its power.

That was a task that had no end, reaching towards eternity.

Long ago, in a forgotten age, a forgotten land, a wanderer warned her of what was to come, should she take the Power of the King to help her people.

"You should think things through before you take it," the man had chided her, looking as old as each of the thousands of years he had lived before. "For this burden is one that will set you apart from other humans, even as you live among them, condemning you to a life of solitude. Even so…will you accept this contract?"

The Shadow had nodded, her decision final, even when shown the span of the future.

"Are you really ok with that?" the Wanderer had asked.

"People live on, the world turns, tomorrow comes," the Shadow had replied. "I do not believe this choice is a mistake."

Accepting the burden, she took up the scythe, fighting on past the end of her land, past the end of civilizations grand and small. Accepting the burden, she took on the Code, resolving that her heart would not change even if she was abandoned, feared, or betrayed.

The time spent, the ideals pursued, the life where possibilities became realities, all sorts of trouble—she chose her path, and would not retreat. Even when struggle, confusion, defeat, and death many times over were seared into her eyes, she continued.

Her only wish had been to protect, to grant the wishes of the people to live on. But in order to do so, she had been forced to throw away the emotion of wanting to protect people, for one cannot be an immortal guardian with a human heart, not and still survive the ages.

The Shadow has walked for a very long time upon that road, on a journey without end, never yielding results. The once noble ideal she lived for became a tiring duty, and dedication itself became distorted, with the hopes she once saw in her childhood dreams, no longer.

Many times she had failed, as when her homeland was destroyed, sunken beneath the waves by her own hand – a civilization dying that the world might live. She remembered the footsteps to the final battle, where many had cried out, begging for someone to restore them, to use the holy power of the world to restore all to one.

But no matter how much they asked, no matter how much they pleaded, she could not assent. All she could do was end their suffering, fixing the contradiction of the living dead, make the creator of human hells atone for their sins.

She could not undo sad events, bring back the dead, or prevent disasters that already occurred. But even so, because of her acceptance of her duty as Reaper, many lives were saved, and the world itself kept spinning.

Her heart still beats, a metronome by which the ages might be measured, but it is not as human as it once was—or perhaps it had never been. Machines, bodies, spirits—no matter how durable something may be, the eternal adversary wears it away, grinds away at it with the friction of ages. Everything will be damaged with time; everything will fade away with time.

Even hope. Even humanity. Even a dream.

Time passed, countries rose and fell, people changed—so why did she continue, when her original reasons had been lost? The reason is simple: who would take up the scythe if she stopped?

The Shadow only ever had one wish, one that had not changed from the moment she first took up the scythe of battle. And for the sake of a wish, she threw away herself, becoming nothing, choosing to fight, no matter what the future held…even if, for her, there was inevitable, solitary ruin at the end.

* * *

**Lamperouge Residence, Ashford Academy**

'…_that dream again.' _

Lelouch vi Britannia, former Eleventh Prince of the Britannian Empire, Vice-President of the Ashford Student Council, Knightmare Pilot of Ashford Academy, school heartthrob, and Champion in the Eden Vital War, was slightly troubled. It wasn't that he hadn't been getting enough sleep lately, though between late nights with the Black Knights, his training as a Servant, and a full schedule of work imposed by Milly, he had enough on his plate for five people; It wasn't that he was unsatisfied with the progress of the rebellion so far; It wasn't even that C.C. had once again ordered pizza on his credit card, as he had enough money to support that minor drain on his finances.

It was something else that nagged at him: namely, C.C.'s reason for fighting in the Eden Vital War, or her lack thereof.

Yes, the green-haired witch had explained his duties as a Champion, and had given him the power to overturn fate, but what was it that _she_ wished for?

"_Accept my gift of power, and in return, you will serve as my champion, my fate determined by your sword."_

So the immortal Code-bearer had said on the day the two had met in Shinjuku, offering Lelouch a chance to live on in return for being her champion in this war—and he accepted, much preferring life to death, as human beings were wont to do, a decision that had changed everything.

Since then, they had worked together in the War, as well as the rebellion against Britannia, with several great successes so far. The first was the recruitment of Servant Rider (and Lelouch remembered that well, as he had been in great pain for quite some time afterwards), with the founding of the Order of Black Knights shortly thereafter, in a demonstration that had shocked Britannia to no end.

'_So C.C. took up the mask of Zero, trading one alias for another,'_ the prince-in-exile thought to himself. _'Combined with the use of Kallen's Geass, it was an interesting misdirection that has netted great dividends and allowed me to hide in plain sight as Avenger.'_

He had learned the merits of that after his encounter with Kallen, who although now an ally, had been a rather impulsive wildcard when they had first met. And as a strategist himself, he knew very well that it was often useful to confuse the information that his enemies received—so that they would blunder when countering.

'_Just as what happened yesterday, when Kallen was attacked by Servant Assassin,'_ Lelouch recalled, slightly frustrated with the fact that C.C. had not informed him about the operation beforehand. _'She set up the conditions for victory beforehand, relying on Rider's strength as a Servant for her plan to succeed.'_

That was what the Witch did best, altering the conditions to allow victory to be achieved—instead of playing to existing conditions. Hence the dramatic Zero Intervention, which lured the other Servants to Area 11, setting up this distant territory as the major battleground of the Eden Vital War—a rather more efficient approach than seeking out the other Servants.

Then too, it had been the first steps in building a viable army, something useful not simply for a champion, but also for the fight against Britannia, possibly allowing him to achieve his wish without resorting to something even greater.

'_It seems these two goals coincide with one another,'_ Avenger thought to himself, having learned from the Witch that at least one of the enemy champions was a member of the Britannian Army. _'Or at least, she makes it appear so…'_

For all her talk about Avenger being a sword though, the prince sometimes felt like an assassin's dagger, meant to be hidden behind the flashy movements of a cloak—and then employed when least expected, with C.C. as the cloak and Rider as the sword. Not that he could complain, since the cloak was what drew the attention of the enemy—and had the best chance of getting shot at in battle (not that that would stop C.C. for long, given her immortality).

Still, Lelouch had to wonder why it was that the Witch fought…and for that matter, why she was "Zero" and not some other name. No doubt it was related to the Keeper of Memory and the strange phantasm world in which he had first encountered the other persona within C.C., but how so? Who was C.C.?

Eventually, he would want answers…answers that the immortal might or might not give him, based on her sometimes whimsical nature about the truth.

'_Even so, as Avenger, I am the Witch's accomplice...and for now, that is enough.'_

Thus he concluded, as he went about his morning routine, dressing and getting ready for the tedium of classes.

'_To skip or not to skip…that is the question. On one hand, if I remain, I will be tortured by mental tedium and Milly's demands. On the other hand, if I go to the mobile base, I will be tortured by paperwork and C.C.'s demands. It's a no-win scenario.'_

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

But it seemed he could spend no more time thinking about the issue, as a sudden rapping rapping rapping on his chamber door brought him back to a more concrete reality. Still, at least whoever it was would prove to be something than some bird out of nightmare screaming "Nevermore", or so he hoped.

"Hey Lelouch, it's Milly," the unusually quiet voice of his childhood friend called from the door. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," the Black Prince replied, watching as the curvaceous blonde sauntered into his room and looked around, smirking slightly as she saw an in-progress chess game on his desk. "So what brings you here?"

He was probably right to be slightly wary, considering that whenever Milly appeared, it was usually to drag him off to participate in one event or another—or to make his life a living hell by making him the center of attention in an event.

'_Almost as if she's acting out sadistic qualities to counter her closet masochistic nature…' _the prince concluded, the barest tinge of red on his cheeks as he remembered his 'experimentation' with his Geass, and how the blonde, in the afterglow, had termed his magic eyes 'the mystic eyes of little death perception.'

"Just wanted to stop by and talk for a while," Milly replied, her trademark half-teasing expression on her face as she plopped herself down on his chair. "And thanks for all your help yesterday."

"Indeed, what would the Student Council do without me?" Avenger returned cheekily, a reply that led to a pair of slender fingers flicking his forehead.

"Probably have a lot less to gossip about," the blonde returned with a saucy smile. "After all, without the romantic exploits of Princess Lulu, where would we be?"

The prince-in-exile winced, as that accusation had a little more truth to it than he would like to admit.

"Touché," he conceded, knowing it to be true. And while Lelouch and the truth had always had a bit of a distant relationship, he tried to be truthful when he could, especially around someone who knew so many of his lies. "Probably talking about Rivalz's obvious crush on you, or just who Kallen knows…speaking of which, how is she?"

Avenger already knew, having had a chat with the redhead after the event, but their connection was still unknown to most, and thus a bit of concern was expected.

"Shouldn't you know?" Milly asked in turn, a hint of venom in her voice. "I mean, the two of you _are_ going out, right? I hear the rumors just like everyone else, and Shirley always confides in me for some reason…maybe she's gotten attached to my groping her. It's always the quiet ones, you know?"

"It's really not like that," Lelouch countered with a touch of chagrin. "We are spending time together, but that's because it's useful to have someone to help out with notes, with her illness and all—that and I keep away the guys that would otherwise pester her incessantly for dates."

"Mmm…I see, going with the 'helpful friend' route, are we?" the Student Body president replied wickedly. "I suppose that is one way to seduce a sheltered flower like Kallen. My my, becoming quite the playboy, aren't we? What am I ever going to do with you?"

"What would you like to do with me?" Lelouch half-growled in much the same manner, though his expression returned more or less to normal shortly thereafter. "You do as you like anyway, whether or not I have much say in it, yesterday being a case in point."

At that, Milly looked away, refusing to meet the prince's eyes as she turned and looked at the chessboard instead, picking up the black king.

"It was either put on that massive event, or go to another arranged marriage interview," the blonde admitted with some distaste. "And you know how much I hate having to go to those."

"And how they inevitably end," Avenger added wryly. "Most people believe that Clovisland is jinxed for couples because of all the ways you've broken up with your fiancées there."

The two shared a snort of genuine laughter at the thought, as the mental images of just how Milly had convinced her marriage candidates to abandon her were…quite amusing.

"It's almost like your fascination with chess, except using people instead of ivory pieces," Milly remarked, after a moment. "And speaking of chess pieces…"

The effective Queen of Ashford Academy gave the prince a sidelong glance.

"…what do you think of Zero and the Order of Black Knights?"

It was probably a good thing that Lelouch liked to wrap himself in a blanket of lies, and that his face itself was but a mask that he showed to the world, or else he would have fallen over in shock. Seeing as he was Avenger, the Servant of Zero, and sub-commander to the Order…this question hit a little too close to home.

"An interesting group, to say the least, having thrown Britannia and the Areas into turmoil from the time they first appeared," Avenger replied evenly, eyes locked on the black king held between Milly's slender fingers. "Especially as it seems their leader boasts some sort of supernatural power as well."

"Yes, the message boards on the internet are abuzz with rumors about it," Milly noted, having taken a look at some just the other day to satisfy her curiosity. "Most people think it's either a powerful psychic ability, or just the ability to exact absolute retribution for what people try to do, letting those who shoot be shot, as it were. Either way, they've certainly caused quite a stir."

"Indeed," Lelouch said, voice deep in his Avenger persona. "For if the king leads, will the people not follow?"

Milly looked at her friend askance, naked curiosity written in her eye.

"Says the prince-in-exile with a supernatural power of his own," the blonde replied, somewhat amused. "Anyway, you seem to have a good opinion of this Zero, considering he killed your half-brother."

'_Now…how to get out of this…ah yes, a sarcastic confession.'_

"Why of course, what did you expect?" he declared smoothly, his voice and pose radiating confidence and authority. "For I…am Zero!"

This sudden declaration was met with peals of laughter, and a very soft knife hand chop to the head.

"Oh, come on Lulu," Milly said when she had stopped laughing. "Everyone knows that Zero is a woman. For all we know, she might even be a Britannian who is tired of the way things are, tired of being shoved around by others…"

"…like you?" came the quiet questioning voice of her childhood friend.

The blond looked about a couple times, as if to ensure no one was listening, then pierced the exiled prince with an almost vulnerable gaze.

"…yeah."

* * *

**Sub-Viceroy's Office, Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

Of all the things that Third Imperial Princess Euphemia li Britannia had expected upon becoming Sub-Viceroy of Area 11, being delegated much of the actual work wasn't one of them. Sub-Viceroy, as everyone knew, was just a title that Cornelia had arranged for the pink-haired princess to have so that they could stay close while the Chief General of the Imperial Army had gone off to deal with rebels in the Area. It was a title that normally conferred the privileges of rank, but nothing else, with power resting in the hands of the Governor General…

'_But then, there's never been a place in Britannia with a Governor General quite like Earl Asplund.'_

For arguably the most powerful person in the Area, the Earl of Pudding didn't act like it at all. An eccentric man more interested in data and certain desserts than people, he had been unconcerned with maintaining his admittedly tarnished image or holding social functions, instead preferring to read over reports in full, issue executive orders that angered nearly everyone, and…actually give the Sub-Viceroy a mountain of work to do, as if the rank actually meant something.

'_Of course, dearie. If you have the title, you must do the work,'_ the Governor General had said, before handing her a stack of reports from the military on the recent activity of the Black Knights, while he busied himself with some other aspect of the job.

'_A strange man, not to have a personal aide…'_

But then, Lloyd Asplund had not been a politician at all, having only received the rank of Governor General after no one else wanted it – and since the bureaucrats valued their lives and political standing, they tried not to argue with him too much afterwards, even if he was as uncouth and aggravating as one could ask for.

"Is something on your mind, Euphie?" a quiet voice disrupted her reverie. The speaker, to her delight, was the first friend the princess had made in Area 11, a certain Kallen Stadtfeld. "If you're busy with something, I can always come back later."

"Not at all, it's always good to see you," Euphie replied with a gentle smile. And indeed, a visit from her dear friend was always welcome, especially if it used up time that otherwise would be filled by one of the many courtiers trying to appeal to her for favor with the Governor General. Such was the reason that Euphemia had issued her friend a pass card to the Bureau, to be used at any time. "I hope your anemia isn't acting up today?"

"No, it's been fine since I recovered from my faint yesterday," Kallen murmured, pitched just loud enough to hear. "Speaking of which, it was shocking to see you when I woke up. I didn't think we'd meet again after parting in Shinjuku."

"Are you…disappointed that I turned out to be the Sub-Viceroy?" Euphemia asked, tilting her head as she studied the Ashford Academy student before her. "Or that I was the one who helped you yesterday?"

"No…I was just surprised," the redhead answered softly, meeting the princess' soft gaze. "I just never expected the Sub-Viceroy to be someone who would jump out of a third story window without even looking—or who would want to visit Shinjuku."

"And I never thought I'd meet such a kind person on the last day of my…vacation," the Third Princess said in turn, smiling warmly. "Kind even to the dead, and to the Japanese."

Just then, a very distinctive voice rang out from the corridors of the Government Bureau, one the Third Princess recognized well. It _was_ just about time for the workday to end, after all…

"Alright, everyone. Pack it up, pack it up," the Earl of Pudding remarked as he stuck his head into each office on his way down the halls. "Well done today. Don't do anymore. That's all folks…hip, hip, hoo-ray!"

Most of the people in the building had gotten used to Lloyd's "end of the work day" ritual, but it was the first time that Kallen had had the "privilege" of hearing it.

"…the Governor General is…an unusual man, isn't he?" the redhead asked, trying to select words that wouldn't be too offensive. "Is he always such an…interesting character?"

Euphemia chuckled, stroking the black cat on her lap—one she had named Lancelot just to spite the Governor General, considering his affection for the machine of the same name, and his rather more tempestuous relationship with the cat.

"See for yourself," Euphie replied, a slow smile gracing her lips. "He'll be coming in here soon…"

_Creak!_

It was then that the door opened to reveal the figure of Lloyd Asplund, the man who in appearance was almost the direct opposite of Lelouch Lamperouge, clad in his usual scientist garb, having chosen to forego the more usual formal attire expected of the nobility.

"Meow!"

At the sight of him, the black cat Lancelot bounded from Euphemia's lap over to the Earl…where it proceeded to greet him by sinking its teeth into his ankle.

"Well that was unexpected," the Earl said airily, looking down slowly at his feline assailant. "Keep that up, and I might have Cecile make you a treat."

"Meow!"

As if agitated by those words, the cat let go, scampering off to hide behind Euphemia's desk.

"Heading to Camelot again, Governor General?" the sub-viceroy asked her boss.

"Yes…while Cecile has the refit of the Sutherlands in hand, there's also the matter of the Vincent," the scientist groused. "And we still don't have enough data, or talented pilots."

"Well, good luck with that," Princess Euphemia replied warmly, wishing the best for her superior. "And about those reports you wanted me to look over…?"

"Bah, no hurry, take your time…the bureaucrats always do anyway," the man answered, walking over and dropping off a small carton on the Sub-Viceroy's desk. "Anyway, here's some food if you're hungry. Alright then, ta ta for now."

With that, the Earl of Pudding gave a little wave before he veritably danced out of the Sub-Viceroy's office.

"I take that back," Kallen said after a few moment of silence. "Interesting is a little too light of a word to use with him."

"Still, he was nice enough to leave us something," Euphemia noted, pursing her lips in thought. "So at least he has some concern for others, even if he doesn't tend to show it."

"It's…not pudding, is it?" Kallen asked with trepidation. "I had a little too much of that yesterday."

"Hmm…let's see."

Curious as to the contents, Euphemia opened the small carton to find several onigiri inside, offering one to her redheaded friend. Slightly hungry, Kallen took one and bit into it, only to find…

"…there's jam. Blueberry jam," Servant Rider stated baldly.

"Oh dear."

* * *

**Black Knight HQ**

Back at the mobile base that served as the headquarters of the Black Knights, C.C. was dealing with a number of headaches caused by a certain hot-headed member of the Knights—namely Tamaki, who was advocating a more bloody course of action than she approved of.

"If Kallen has access to the Government Bureau, then we should let her assassinate the Governor General!"

So the hothead was advocating, only for Zero to interrupt with an upraised hand.

"...and then Cornelia would take over and turn the entire resources of the provincial government towards cracking down on us," the Geass Witch spoke into the silence. "The current Governor General is rather lax in his attitude towards us, preferring to tinker with Knightmares – I would rather not have that change."

"…but Zero, this would be a perfect chance to—"

"Tamaki, have you forgotten? We are not a resistance group," Zero stated, daring him to contradict her words.

"Then what are we?" came the reply.

"Knights for Justice, of course," Zero answered, voice tinged with a hint of amusement. "Remember, we stand in judgment of the world, protecting the innocent. Thus far, Earl Asplund has not committed anything worthy of punishment. Cornelia, on the other hand…"

But they, and the other Black Knights gathered, were cut off then, their attention drawn to a laptop one of their members carried, from which a broadcast blared.

"_Mlitary authorities report that they have surrounded the Saitama Ghetto, a known hiding place for terrorists. Second Princess Cornelia is also on the scene, and entry to that area is restricted. It appears that a full scale assault will be launched in three hours. Consequently, power will be shut off..."_

"The news is one thing," muttered one of the Black Knights, "but why would they broadcast the start time?"

"They're trying to provoke me into acting, of course, testing whether or not I will live up to my words," responded the voice of Zero. "If I appear, they have a chance to capture me. If not, then they will think the mission of the Order of Black Knights is but a lie."

"These conditions, they're similar to Shinjuku," noted Ohgi, an observation that raised his esteem in C.C.'s eyes.

"Indeed they are, Ohgi. If my information is correct, then the Yamato resistance cell is there, correct?"

A nod in confirmation.

"So Zero, what's the plan?" Tamaki chimed in, eager for some action. "Are we going to intervene?"

The rest of the Knights waited expectantly on the masked figure's words, expecting a chance at action.

"The experimental Knightmare Frames from Kyoto have not yet arrived, and our Burai would be too difficult to smuggle in, given the lockdown," C.C. laid out. "Given those conditions, our best chance is to acquire Knightmares as we did in Shinjuku, though there will be no convenient train to seize this time around. Unless there is a Raikou available for our use?"

The logistics officer, Yoshida, merely shook his head. Unfortunately, the Black Knights had not been supplied with one of those massive coilguns.

_'No matter...we have Servant Rider. She will serve just as well...'_

"In that case, what can we expect?" one of the anonymous members asked.

"I have a route of entry and escape in mind, but it would be difficult to get more than a handful of people into the ghetto," Zero responded, looking out over the crowd. "I will require several volunteers…Tamaki, you will do nicely for a liaison with Yamato. Inoue, Yoshida, Sugiyama, you will be in charge of evacuating civilians. The rest of you are dismissed for now, though tonight's operation continues, understood?"

"Yes, Lady Zero!" came the chorus of responses, as they bustled off to their assigned tasks.

'_So the Witch of Britannia has at last arrayed her forces. Let us contend then, Witch to Witch, and even the odds a bit, shall we?'_

"As for you, Ohgi," Zero continued, turning to face the man. "Contact Avenger and Kallen, as I will require them for this operation."

"What are you planning, Zero?" the Liaison Officer and former resistance cell leader asked.

"A little sleight of hand, shall we say?"

* * *

**A/N**: Ambush at Saitama coming up next, as Geass meets Geass on the field of war. Remember, reviews are much appreciated, so if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do leave me a note.


	14. Ravelling Threads

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Mobile Command Center, Black Knights HQ**

Precious moments ticked by as the Black Knights made preparations for a tactical intervention in Saitama Ghetto, their first major deployment against units of the Britannian Army – units of the army commanded by Princess Cornelia li Britannia, the Chief General of the Imperial Army, no less. But in spite of the danger posed to them, they were not afraid, knowing that Zero the maker of miracles was among them. Indeed, the air was alive with a sense of quiet excitement, as the chosen volunteers made ready, checking the routes, planning how to evacuate the civilians, and so forth.

It was in the midst of this concerted activity that Avenger and Rider arrived at the base, reporting directly to the conference room as ordered, entering to find a map of the Saitama Ghetto laid out on the main table, with the masked figure of Zero leaning over it and jotting down some notes.

"Greetings, Avenger, Kallen," C.C. said, looking up at the sound of their footsteps. "I believe Ohgi filled you in on the basics of the situation, correct?"

"Yes…Cornelia is trying to draw us out by replicating the conditions in Shinjuku," Avenger noted, the cogs in his head already working. "Which, in the wake of our declaration, effectively forces us to take the field and oppose her, else we lose all credibility."

"Correct – and no doubt she believes that we will attempt to kill her," C.C. responded, looking between her two Servants. "However…"

"Yes, Zero?" asked Kallen, interested in learning how the leader of the Black Knights planned to kill off yet another royal.

"We're not going to take the bait," the Geass Witch replied. "Our priority is to buy time to evacuate the civilians, as well as rescuing the members of the resistance cell trapped in Saitama. Considering recent developments, the best Knightmare frames we will have access to in this battle as Glasgows, which will not fare well against the Gloucesters of the Glaston Knights."

"But—"

"I am well aware of your Geass power, Kallen, but even you can only manipulate the trajectories of objects within your line of sight…and trying to manipulate too many places a great strain on you," C.C. admonished, her tone quite firm. "Do not be reckless, as your survival is critical to the defeat of Britannia."

"…right, as a Champion of Eden Vital," Rider acknowledged, looking intently at the masked one. "Still, we are going to be able to strike at the Britannian Army, correct?"

"Oh yes," Zero replied, a trace of dark amusement in her voice. "Cornelia's Royal Guard will be making an appearance in Saitama, and the plan relies on your ability as a diversion, so trust me, Servant Rider, you will have the chance to fight you so desire. However, our objective in this battle is not the elimination of Cornelia—is that clear?"

"…yes, Zero," Kallen conceded reluctantly, though inwardly she was pleased that they would at least be able to save some people.

Then the masked figure turned to Avenger.

"The same goes for you, Avenger," the voice of the Geass Witch intoned, low and biting. "I am relying on you to coordinate battle strategy once we have captured the requisite Knightmares, and I do not want your priorities compromised."

"Would it not be wise to take this opportunity to eliminate her as we did Clovis?" the prince-in-exile suggested. "After all, she did go through the trouble of giving us an invitation."

"Hmph…still as stubborn as ever, aren't we, Lelouch?" C.C. asked rhetorically, considering what might make him more controllable. "Let us consider the fact that Cornelia is a much better strategist than Clovis, and that you will be using people unused to your commands to fight this battle, due to our lack of resources. Yet, you wish to avenge your mother's murder, and so you are driven to go against logic. Shall I tell you a secret then? My opponent, he who commands Britannia's champions, is the one who struck her down in cold blood."

Lelouch's expression grew sharp then, as he intently hung on every word as the Grey Witch continued. Through his bond with his Master, he could tell she wasn't lying, so…

"Did you ever wonder why it was you that I chose as my Champion?" Zero continued, the blank oval of the mask still staring at him. "It was because you and I have a common enemy in Britannia, a need to defeat those behind its power. In that, we are accomplices, are we not?"

"Indeed we are, my immortal Witch," Avenger said, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "To that end, I am your sword."

* * *

**Saitama Ghetto**

'_The problem with being a Knight of Justice is that it is damned hard to fight when there are too many people to protect.'_

So Kallen Kozuki had concluded after a long tenure in first the Japanese Resistance, and now the Black Knights. On the open field of battle, where one stood against one's enemies (or during raids on criminal syndicates, underground organizations, etc), this was usually not an issue, since one did not have to worry about protecting anyone. There, allies were an asset, not a liability—which was very much unlike the case here, where there were far too many civilians to consider, people who could not defend themselves.

'_People the Black Knights were formed to protect.'_

Indeed, in her first public appearance, Zero had promised that wherever oppressors abused their power by attacking those who are powerless, they would appear again. No matter how mighty, how formidable the foe might be.

And so several handpicked volunteers of the Black Knights found themselves deployed in Saitama, working to evacuate the civilians before the Britannian Army attacked. Once the assault began, it would fall to Avenger, Rider, and Zero (along with what support the Yamato Alliance might be able to provide) to hold off the enemy or at least push them into withdrawing temporarily, as the objective of the Black Knights was simply to buy time, no more.

'_So here I am, dressed in a duplicate of Zero's costume—which is a little tight around the chest—waiting in the shot-up ruins of a building, watching as the leaders of Saitama are rounded up for a firing squad…'_

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

A platoon of assault troops opened fire, the bullets from their rifles zooming through the air towards the leaders of Saitama—

"No…"

"That's…impossible…"

—then changed direction in mid-air, as the many rounds of shrapnel were absorbed into a great vortex of spinning metal death that—

"AUGHHH!"

"What the—"

—turned back upon those who had fired, ripping their bodies into bloody shreds, even as it continued twisting in the air, a bloody tornado of destruction waiting for another command.

Taking that as her cue, Kallen (in the guise of Zero), stepped out of the ruins to stand among the people she had saved, her eye blazing with the sigil of Geass as her brain burned.

"Zero! It's Zero!" was the collective cry of shock and surprise from the ones so narrowly saved from execution. "She's come to save us!"

"Yes, I am she," Kallen answered, making sure to keep the bulk of her concentration on the whirlwind of bullets. "Follow my instructions if you wish to live."

* * *

**Mobile Command Center, Britannian Army**

Within the G-1 Mobile Base that served as Cornelia's command center during this battle, the Second Princess sat upon her throne, watching as her subordinates conferred over the map of Saitama. If her gamble succeeded, the Chief General of the Imperial Army would be able to draw out the masked criminal Zero, the enemy of Britannia, and crush the rebel with the full weight of Britannian might. In her mind, Zero was a criminal with a flair for the theatrical, after all, and judging by what the masked vigilante had said, one with an inability to turn away from suffering.

"It's nearly time to set our plan in motion," Cornelia noted, observing the completion of the preliminary stages. The ghetto had been surrounded, the leaders of Saitama had been rounded up, and so far, there was no sign of Zero. "I assume those in charge have been swept away?"

And then things changed, as several squad markers blinked off the tactical map, one after another.

"Princess Cornelia, we've lost contact with several of our platoons," reported Andreas Darlton, one of the Princess' trusted subordinates. "From appearances, it is believed that some of the terrorists used suicide bomber tactics to eliminate them."

"Hmm, then there has been no sign of Zero?" Cornelia questioned, receiving a shake of the head in response. "Then begin the assault."

"Right," acknowledged Darlton. "Attention all forces. Commence eradication of the Saitama Ghetto. All forces, assume No. 1 battle stations. And the Lancelot, Your Highness?"

"As the Governor General is absent from the field and unable to protest," the Second Princess responded firmly, "I would prefer not to rely on an Honorary Britannian."

"Understood, Your Highness."

* * *

**Saitama Ghetto**

As the attack commenced, Avenger (dressed in a uniform of a Britannian footsoldier) managed to capture a Glasgow for personal use through artful manipulation and employing his Geass, causing the man to drop the ground, writhing in pain, until at last came the sweet embrace of inevitable death. It was only to be expected, as the man had shot up a fleeing group of children just moments prior, and in war, one could not afford to be considerate about an opponent's life.

'_The only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed,'_ the Servant thought to himself, eyeing his newly acquired Glasgow in disappointment. It was not as agile or as well armored as the Sutherland he had piloted in Shinjuku, and yet it would have to do. _'As long as I can use it as a command post, it will suffice for my purposes.'_

"Zero, this is Avenger," he spoke into his radio. "Have you made contact with the Yamato Alliance?"

The babble of voices in the background, whispering incredulously about "Zero", "Black Knights", "Avenger", and "they really came", gave him the answer he sought.

"I assume all of you have heard about the Shinjuku incident," the Servant continued, completely confident in his role. "Do as I say and you will be saved."

Not really having much of a choice, the Yamato Alliance agreed, and under Lelouch's expert direction, began an offensive to push back the Britannian forces, boarding captured Glasgows in some cases, striking with RPGs from others, but managing a good deal of success either way.

In what seemed foolishness, more and more squads were committed to the fray, only to be shredded one by one by Lelouch's superior tactics and the teamwork of the resistance. Attacks from behind, attacks from the side, from above—until at last, the immediate area was cleared.

Meanwhile, Kallen too had moved to confront the invading forces, her whirling storm of metal death mowing down the enemy with impunity as they fired again and again and again, her ammunition in no danger of being depleted, as it was constantly replenished by soldiers who did not learn the futility of their actions. Anti-personnel rounds, anti-material rounds, slash harkens—all of these she redirected to great effect, reducing the attackers to scraps of metal and blood.

It was perhaps not as effective in cutting down the enemy as Lelouch's squad of Knightmares might have been, given that he had access to IFF signals, while she had only her eyes, but in terms of cutting morale—and inspiring utter terror, it was far more potent.

An enemy in a Knightmare attacking from ambush was an annoying prospect, it was true. But an enemy with an unknown power, walking through a hail of bullets unaffected, even turning one's weapons against one, was far more terrifying.

Thankfully, the enemies had all come from one direction so far, though that would not last too long. Once the sighting of Zero was surrounded, no doubt she would become the priority target, while the rest of the ghetto became a secondary concern.

'_Create a diversion. Let them see Zero. Then hide and set up an ambush. I think I did that well enough, right, Zero?'_

_BOOM!_

In the distance, one of the bridges into Saitama fell—the signal for the next phase to begin.

'_Alright, time to make my way to the extraction point.'_

* * *

**Mobile Command Center, Britannian Army**

Emotions ran high in the G-1 Mobile base as unit after unit disappeared off the map, some due to Glasgows captured from their own forces, and some due to—

"Your Highness, we've sighted Zero!" exclaimed one of Cornelia's subordinates exclaimed, finally having managed to pick out the name of the masked vigilante from amidst the screams of terror issuing over the radio. "She seems to be using the technique demonstrated during the Zero Intervention, coordinated with fire from captured Knightmares."

"That's enough then," Cornelia decided, her lips twitching into a frown. "Order all troops to fall back. Further damage and casualties serve no point."

"Fall back?" asked one of the subordinates. "With all due respect, we can still fight! We can't lose to a terrorist."

"We can't fight Zero like this," Cornelia replied, having confirmed the reports of the masked marauder's deadly power. "Not with the ability to reflect projectiles in this manner."

Acknowledging the point, Andreas Darlton opened a channel to all remaining forces:

"All forces, fall back behind Ghetto perimeter at once. Formation dosen't matter. Fall back behind Ghetto perimeter at once."

"Don't worry," the lady of war reassured her staff. "Zero is no match, I'll win. Shall we go then, Guilford, my Knight?"

"It is my pleasure to serve and obey you, my lady," answered Servant Lancer.

**

* * *

**

**Saitama Ghetto**

As Lelouch witnessed the spectacle of the Britannian Army falling back, the prince-in-exile was momentarily tempted to join them, but decided against it. Now that C.C. had revealed to him the identity of his mother's killer, there was no need to go after Cornelia now…not when the odds were overwhelmingly against him.

'_The key to victory is achieving one's objectives – we have already achieved ours in this battle.'_

"Avenger, this is Zero," the voice of the Geass Witch issued from his radio. "Evacuation of the civilians is complete, volunteer Black Knights have been extracted."

"Shall I execute the breakout maneuver, then?" Avenger asked, pleased that all had gone according to plan. "Along with the remainder of the Yamato Alliance?"

"Yes, break through the encirclement at the weakest point, but abandon the Knightmares and escape into the underground tunnels at the earliest opportunity," C.C. commanded, as if she'd experienced battle countless times before. "I will remain behind to ensure the success of our…diversions."

"Understood, Avenger out."

With that last order taken care of, the Geass Witch prepared for her final role in this battle – to slow down the Gloucesters, allowing Avenger and the others to execute their withdrawal safely. As usual, Zero was standing on a rooftop, observing the spectacle below from a suitable vantage point. Today, she was rather pleased with what she had seen—and was rather confident that she could give the Britannians a nasty surprise or two.

'_I managed to retrieve the remote triggers for several of the damaged Glasgows from earlier, so let's see how much of a runaround we can give these enemies, shall we?'_

With a small grin concealed behind her mask, C.C. switched on the IFF signal of one of the Knightmares, watching as a team of three Gloucesters sped towards it, lances lowered. The Glasgow, on autopilot, tried to back away, but—

_Crunch! Crash! Smash!_

—was impaled by three lances, one after another.

'_Interesting…Servant Lancer is among them…'_

_Click!_

A second Glasgow's IFF indicator was switched on, with 6 Gloucesters speeding towards it this time. Amused, Zero looked on as the lancers slammed their weapons into the venerable knightmare's frame.

_Crunch! Crash!_

_**BOOM!**_

This time, the enemy Knightmares did not emerge unscathed, as a gout of fire erupted in the ruins of Saitama, expanding in a massive sphere of destruction that immediately destroyed the two Gloucesters at its center, while severely damaging the four others, which had not come near enough to be completely destroyed.

'_A pity it was only six, or that Lancer was not among this group, as I had hoped to get more value out of that liquid sakuradite bomb. Those aren't exactly the most common or inexpensive devices around.'_

With that, Cornelia pulled back her forces, just in case of another ambush—or more bombs. For now, there was nothing left alive in the Ghetto (mostly due to the Black Knights evacuating the civilians), and that could be considered enough.

"You were overconfident, Cornelia li Britannia," C.C. spoke into the wind, commenting on the way the battle had gone. "You believed that I would come after you and kill you—but that was not my objective. I intervened to preserve the lives of Saitama's civilians, while you sought battle merely to kill me. To that end…you have lost, and I have won."

With that, C.C. too, departed from Saitama, leaving behind a quiet ruin as a testament to the horrors of war.

* * *

**Mobile Command Center, Black Knights HQ**

Having each returned to the mobile base of the Black Knights, Rider and Avenger now rested within Zero's personal quarters, waiting for their masked leader to arrive. They had cooperated to break through the perimeter around Saitama, eliminating the forces sent against them, and had then proceeded to hand responsibility for the survivors from the Yamato Alliance to Tamaki (who had arranged a safehouse prior to the operation), before returning to base themselves.

Upon entering the room, Rider had almost immediately taken off the helm of Zero and collapsed on the bed, her body and mind extremely worn from all the exertion she had undergone that day, while Avenger sat in thought, watching her sleeping face.

'_For someone who is so fierce when she's awake, she certainly is at ease when she dreams,'_ the prince-in-exile thought with a faint smile. It truly was strange how many faces there were to Kallen Kozuki – the dedicated Black Knight, the fierce Servant Rider, the demure Kallen Stadtfeld…but how much of any one of these was really Kallen? _'Though I suppose I'm not one to discuss this, since I live out a nest of lies myself. My reasons for fighting, my identity, even what I think and feel...'_

Of course, that was probably nothing compared to how many secrets that C.C. kept from him, as the enigmatic immortal obviously knew much more than she let on about many topics.

_Hiss!_

Just as he was in the midst of thinking about the Witch, the automated doors hissed open and C.C. walked in, closing the door behind her, blank mask looking first to Avenger and then to Rider. Seeing that the latter was asleep, the Witch reached back and presses a hidden button on the back of her helmet, allowing her to remove it and expose her face.

"You're wounded," Avenger noted, seeing a stain somewhere near C.C.'s chest.

"I'll live."

"Coming from you, that's really not saying much," the Servant shot back, tired. "So I take it we won today, then?"

"Or close enough to it. We gained the loyalty of a new group and saved a large group of people," Zero replied, plopping herself down on the chair across from Lelouch. "So our reputation grows, especially with the resistance and with Kyoto, where it counts."

"Anything else I should know?" Lelouch inquired, curious if his master had learned anything else.

"I have identified Servant Lancer as one of Cornelia's Royal Guard, if that's what you mean," the green-haired Geass witch replied almost flippantly. "Unfortunately, I was unable to kill him today—too bad, really. Rider will have to face him eventually, I suppose."

"I take it that this isn't your first Eden Vital War," the Servant commented, to which the Witch simply nodded.

"Correct, Avenger," Zero spoke softly. "I've been in a few over the ages, the last war being fifty three years ago, ending in Pendragon itself."

"Who won?"

"The winning Champion was Servant Caster, an Independent Champion of Eden Vital," C.C. related, recalling the end of that bloody struggle. "He was a young boy who waited until the very end, intervening in the final clash between the two Code-bearers' Champions, slaying both for the sake of his wish."

"And what was that wish?" the Servant asked, wanting to know what could be obtained from Eden Vital.

"At the time, he simply wished to live, and so was given my fallen adversary's Code," the Code-bearer said after a moment. "In this war, however, he is our enemy, an eternally young immortal by the name of V.V., one who will do anything to obtain his goal, who fears nothing."

"I see...still, I believe we will win, C.C.," Lelouch drawled in a somewhat tired voice.

"And why is that, Avenger?"

"Because you are nothing," the prince murmured, with one of his sleepy smiles. "Because you...are Zero, the only thing he fears."

* * *

**A/N:** Soon the hoteljacking incident will come about, and as always, reviews are much appreciated!


	15. Vengeful Suspicion

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

Governor General Lloyd Asplund was not a happy man. Eccentric, heedless of custom, sometimes maniacal and overbearing, yes, but at the moment, not particularly happy, the reason for that being an angry Cornelia li Britannia in his office, railing at him for not having done anything to neutralize Zero or the Black Knights.

'_Really, what's the point?'_ were the Earl of Pudding's private thoughts on the matter, thoughts that most would probably consider treasonous. _'As long as they aren't provoked, they don't really cause much trouble.'_

Indeed, for the sake of efficiency, the Governor General had anonymously tipped off the Black Knights a few times, giving them information on corrupt nobles, criminal investigations, and so forth when it was more efficient. Attempting to rely on the police and military to handle these things had proven of no avail, as the bureaucrats within tried to oppose him at every turn (believing him to be an ill-mannered fop who liked to bend the Area to his whims) or had already been corrupted, never managing to accomplish anything constructive on their own.

A firm believer that one had to use the right tool for a given task, Earl Asplund had observed that the Black Knights achieved results that one could not much argue with, and so he made use of them like anything else at their disposal.

'_Like a well-oiled machine, the management of Area 11 functions much better with these so-called "Knights of Justice."'_

He'd never agreed with the blatant racism of the Britannian Empire, after all, since weren't all people, regardless of origin, just tools anyway, components for a vast machine? Racism only lowered efficiency, creating extra stress in the machine—so if the Black Knights had appeared as a pressure release valve, so be it.

'_A pity that Princess Cornelia doesn't see things in quite the same way…'_

Indeed, the purple haired Chief General of the Imperial Army was positively fuming as she stared down the Earl of Pudding, even though it would do her no good. Throwing a tantrum would not help her to catch Zero any faster, so really—

"Aha! I told you so," the scientist said, waggling his finger with utter disregard for the Witch of Britannia's rank. "Didn't take the bait, did she? You should have used the Lancelot."

Cornelia's hands twitched, as if itching to draw her pistol and strike down the aggravating mockery of a proper Governor General on the spot, but as a testament to her self-control, she managed to resist the strong temptation. After all, it would be somewhat hypocritical of her to desire vengeance against Zero for killing her half-brother and the acting-viceroy that had succeeded him, only to seize the Viceroy's Throne for herself. That and the thought that Euphemia would be unhappy with her for doing such a thing were all that stayed her hand.

"Do you have any other…more helpful suggestions?" the Second Princess nearly spat. "And don't say not to chase after Zero, as a terrorist cannot be allowed to challenge Britannia in such a way, _Earl_ Asplund."

"Hohoho, there's a difference between dealing with Zero and baiting her, Princess," the Earl admonished, barely restraining his own desire to mock the Imperial General. "Just as your failings in Saitama showed, isn't that right?"

"I _did _manage to clear out the ghetto," Cornelia replied from between clenched teeth.

"But you didn't catch Zero, did you?" the scientist asked, throwing his arms up in a shrug. "Oh well, at least you got precious data on her abilities—but speaking of Zero, what about Avenger? Does he have power as well?"

"That's unlikely," Cornelia responded, not wanting to think that Zero's accomplice could have some great power. "At least none that has been demonstrated. At this point, he is just a minor annoyance, at best."

* * *

**Mobile Command Center, Black Knights HQ**

In the aftermath of the Saitama operation, Rider remained asleep for several days, the strain and fatigue imposed upon her mind and body during the intervention having caught up to her all at once. During the Zero Intervention, she had only had to invoke her power for one short burst of time against a very limited number of foes, as opposed to this more recent action, where she had been forced to employ her Geass time and time again, tracking projectiles with her eyes, redirecting them with the incredibly focused precision that only came to her in times of pressure.

'_Rider's Geass is very powerful, this is certain,'_ C.C. conceded as she watched over the slumbering redhead, making sure to give the girl water from time to time so she didn't get dehydrated. _'However, like any Geass, it has its limitations, and trying to exceed those has harsh consequences for the user.'_

So the Grey Witch remembered, as her own Geass had become permanently active after a period of prolonged use, driving her into isolation from those around her—except for the Code-bearer who had contracted with her.

'_Thankfully for us, Kallen's cover identity describes her as a rather frail girl,'_ Zero thought to herself. _'Thus, Ashford Academy doesn't ask many questions—and neither do her parents, who don't really care where she is most of the time. Though if necessary, I could simply have Avenger make an excuse for her, saying that she was staying overnight at Ashford to deal with a project or two.'_

Lelouch, on the other hand, had no excuse (except that he liked missing classes), and so had returned to Ashford Academy, where C.C. had the ninja maid Sayoko Shinozaki keeping an eye on him in case other assassins came looking. While it would ordinarily be nothing special if Kallen and Lelouch were to be absent at the same time, in the wake of recent events and rumors, the immortal wished to prevent excessively inconveniencing either of them, especially if it would hinder her plans in the future.

"Oooh gods, did someone get the model number of the Knightmare that hit me?" came a groggy moan from the bed, as Servant Rider stirred at last, sitting up weakly. It seemed that after waking, her body was still experiencing a few side effects. The Servant's eyes darted about slowly until they came to rest upon the masked figure of the Code-bearer, with Kallen realizing that she wasn't back at her home or at Ashford Academy. "Eh? How long was I out?"

"Three days," Zero replied, helping the Servant up and handing her a glass of water. "The Saitama operation was more stressful to you than anticipated, though you did quite well for your first time using your Geass in battle conditions."

"Thanks…I guess," Rider replied weakly, looking on as the Geass Witch approached her, placing a gloved palm on Kallen's forehead. "Er…what are you doing?"

A soft crimson light appeared in the darkness of the room, forming a faint aura about the form of Zero, one that quickly spread over Rider's prone body.

"Examining the mental circuits that channel your Geass," the Grey Witch replied softly, a few muttered "hmms" and "erms?" issuing from behind the mask as she did her work. "Since you are an independent Champion and not one I contracted with, I do not have a mental bond to you, as I do to Avenger, so I have to actually touch you to examine you. In any case, you seem to be alright…you should be back to normal in a few hours."

With that, Zero removed her hand and the light faded, taking most of the headache with it.

"That's a relief," Kallen sighed, flopping back on the bed, just as a figure cloaked in shadow and flame entered the room, removing his mask.

"Glad to see you awake, Q-1, and you as well, dear Witch," rumbled the voice of Avenger. "I'm afraid we have a crisis on our hands."

"What now, _Lulu_?" the redhead replied, using the Student Council's nickname for the prince-in-exile out of irritation. "Can it wait?"

"I'm afraid it can't," the dark Servant replied bluntly. "I've just come from the situation room to confirm the details. In short, members of the Japan Liberation Front under the command of Lt. Colonel Kusakabe have 'hoteljacked' the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel."

"The site of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting?" Zero inquired, just for confirmation.

"Wait a minute…wasn't that the place where the Student Council was going to visit?" Kallen asked at the same time.

"The very same—they've taken everyone there hostage, demanding the release of certain political prisoners the Britannians have taken," Avenger stated grimly, his eyes cold. "But I doubt the Governor General or Princess Cornelia will give in to those demands, and ordinarily, they would be perfectly willing to sacrifice the hostages."

Under the dark mask of Zero, the Geass Witch C.C. raised a curious eyebrow.

"Normally?" the immortal asked her Servant. "Then I take it the conditions this time are…slightly different."

"That is correct," affirmed Avenger, a mad glint appearing in his violet eyes. "Cornelia will not make her move because one of the hostages is…Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia!"

"Euphie is…?ǃ" Rider began, her eyes shooting wide open in shock for a moment.

It was rather surprising to Lelouch how Kallen could be so concerned about a member of the Britannian royal family, but he filed it away for future reference, seeing that he, too, was technically a member of the Britannian royal family.

'_Which will make it easier if I need to reveal my true identity to her eventually…'_

"How interesting," C.C. commented, "Princess Cornelia has always had a soft spot for her younger sister, so if Euphemia is a hostage, most likely she will stay her hand."

"Zero, what will happen to the hostages if the situation is unresolved?" Kallen inquired, worried about all of her friends there.

"Eventually, the JLF will have no reason to keep them alive," replied the commander of the Black Knights. "I take it that neither of you wish to accept this inevitability?"

Both of the Servants shook their heads. They had not been given power, had not started the Black Knights, had not sworn to be Knights of Justice only for some others to come and repudiate their ideals so blatantly.

"Good. Assemble a strike team and some explosives. We move out in half an hour."

* * *

**Food Storage Room, Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel**

Sitting quietly amongst the other hostages, Milly Ashford was understandably a bit anxious about what was to come. Her captors from the Japanese Liberation Front had ordered them to make no trouble, being only all too clear about the consequences of disobedience. To them, the hostages were only pawns to be used in the great game—and Milly highly doubted that Britannia would bother to conduct a rescue operation, as she knew better than most others how Britannia treated those who were weak.

'_And to them, those who allowed themselves to be captured no doubt are weak, fit only to be cast aside.'_

Most Britannian commanders wouldn't even pause to consider the demands of the terrorists, simply ordering their forces to move in wipe out all resistance, with the hostages paying the price as acceptable collateral damage.

'_So why haven't they done so already?'_

That was the question of the hour. By all reasonable standards, they should all already be dead, given Britannia's no-nonsense policy concerning negotiations with terrorists. And yet they weren't—a fact Milly attributed mostly to the presence of Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia (who she only recognized because of the Sub-Viceroy's surprise appearance at Ashford, where she had caused a minor stir with the Student Council).

Apparently, whoever was commanding the Britannian forces was loath to cause the death of a member of the royal family.

'_I hope the terrorists don't find out that she's the Third Princess of the Empire, or things could get quite bad, very fast.'_

The blonde could think of several ways in which the situation might degenerate if that were come to pass, with the pink-haired princess being used as a bargaining chip—or also sacrificed if negotiations soured, leading to the inevitable death of the hostages. In the meantime, all she could do was hope that no one would do anything foolish and get everyone killed.

'_Still, at least Kallen isn't here,'_ Milly thought to herself, sure that the frail girl would have already collapsed from the stress of the situation. _'Or Rivalz, for that matter.'_

No doubt the boy would have done something stupid in an attempt to be a hero, getting himself killed in the process. And though Milly didn't return Rivalz's romantic feelings, she did see the boy as a friend, and she didn't particularly want any of her friends to die or suffer needlessly. She was having a rather hard enough time with Nina as it was, since the xenophobic girl was on the verge of panicking, apparently more sensitive to the stress than the others present—stress that was thick in the air, making both the terrorists and the hostages rather nervous.

'_Nervousness is bad. People do stupid things when nervous.'_

This much Milly realized, though she also knew that all she could do for now was to try to keep her friend calm with her presence, while holding out hope for a miracle.

'_Will someone come to rescue us? Anybody? Maybe even…Zero?'_

* * *

**Mobile Command Center, Britannian Army **

Meanwhile, Princess Cornelia li Britannia's day had just gone from bad to worse. As if it wasn't bad enough that her morning had been ruined by a dispute with Earl Asplund, that quack of a Governor General, over her methodology and attitude towards the Numbers, now well-armed terrorists had taken over the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel and fortified it. The bridges connecting the hotel to the shore had all been cut (save the main one), attempted approaches from air and water had been unsuccessful, and the attempt to send Knightmares through the main utilities tunnel had ended in failure.

'_Euphie…I…'_

As the Chief General of the Imperial Army, Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia knew that she could not afford to show weakness to terrorists. Still, she was strongly tempted, as the sister she had doted on since childhood was a prisoner in the captured hotel, and if there was something she could do to—

'_No…duty first. I can't let my personal feelings get in the way.'_

In spite of their best efforts, the situation was rapidly degenerating. Because she had refused to even meet with the terrorists and consider their demands, the Japanese Liberation Front had begun executing hostages, throwing them from the roof of the hotel. Already, she had been witness to one rather grizzly death, as that was all one could call the remains of a person whose brains and body had been splattered upon cold concrete.

In the rising tension of the situation, her subordinates were beginning to quarrel amongst themselves—politely enough for now, though Cornelia knew from experience that it would only get worse. To negotiate? To use force?

And then the communications officer broke into the argument with a startling report of his own.

"Princess Cornelia, it's Zero! We just received a message from Zero."

* * *

**En route to Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel**

Like a Queen standing upon the battlements of her castle, Zero stood on top of the mobile broadcasting van she had appropriated as the vehicle sped towards the military presence blocking the bridge, cape wrapped around her form. All it had taken was a simple request to a certain Diethard Reid, and the man had eagerly turned over the news van, in return for the promise of a story. Apparently, said news broadcaster had been at the site of the Zero Intervention, and definitely saw the leader of the Black Knights as a chance to make a name for himself in sensational journalism.

'_Exactly as I had forseen…'_

As the vehicle approached, spotlights were switched on one by one and brought to bear on Zero's distinctive figure, with Knightmare Frames moving in to surround the interloper. Still, C.C. was rather confident that they would not open fire, since earlier clashes with the military should have proved the futility of using projectiles against such as Zero.

'_And there Rider has been very useful to me—I may be immortal, but it would be less than wise to reveal that fact, especially when V.V. is looking for me.'_

Instead, the Knightmares simply blocked off the road to the side of the van, forcing it to drive straight for the bridgehead—where Cornelia's Royal Guard swerved in to cut her off with Gloucesters, with Cornelia's personal unit among them.

'_A wise move, as I would expect from the Witch of Britannia…'_

With a _hiss_ of hydraulics, the cockpit of one of the Gloucesters opened up, and purple-haired Second Princess emerged from her personal unit to confront the leader of the Black Knights.

"Well well, we finally meet, Zero," intoned Cornelia li Britannia, decidedly less than amused. "Are you here to aid the Japanese Liberation Front? Or perhaps you intend to help us? No matter, right now, our concerns take priority over yours. So for the death of my half brother Clovis, I hereby..."

Two of the Gloucesters lowered their lances at her words, clearly intending to skewer the Geass Witch where she stood—but the immortal spoke up, her amplified voice carrying quite clearly to the Second Princess.

"Cornelia, what will you choose?" Zero inquired solicitously, the blank faceplate of her mask staring at the purple-haired princess. "Will you kill me now, and thus take your revenge? Or will you let me live, and so save Euphemia?"

The Chief General of the Imperial Army paused, shaken by the masked rebel's words, her initial arrogance replaced by a measure of fear.

"What are you saying?" she asked, her voice uneven, hesitating…once again, torn between duty and personal desire. On one hand, Cornelia would like nothing more than to strike down this enemy of Britannia, but on the other…

"What I mean is that I am able to rescue her," the Geass Witch replied coolly. "Make your choice."

Desire won out, and Cornelia allowed Zero to pass, watching as the van disappeared down the bridge and through the gates of the hotel complex.

"While Zero is inside, distracting the terrorists," she explained to her comrades, "we can strike from below, going with our initial plan of attack. Tell the Special Corp that the Lancelot is to be deployed."

* * *

**Food Storage Room, Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel**

In the food storage room the hostages were held, the fear and anxiety in the air had reached almost unbearable levels. Since the first hostage had disappeared some time ago and had never come back, it was fairly clear that the initial promises that everything would be okay if the hostages just sat still and were quiet had been lies, and that the terrorists no longer cared about their lives.

'_So the bell tolls, and no one comes…'_

So Milly thought to herself as she tried to comfort a quietly hysterical Nina, who was shaking and crying, her mind unable to cope with the stress of the situation. The blonde supposed it was understandable, as a terrorist attack had once buried Nina under a rubble of a building (hence her fear of dark tunnels and confined spaces), but it certainly wasn't helping matters.

_Clip! Clip! Clip!_

The sound of boots against metal echoed as the JLF guards paced about the room, one coming to a halt directly in front of the terrified Nina, who looked up in fear.

"An…Eleven," she squeaked, her mind clearly no longer rational as she recoiled from the man as if bitten a snake.

"What did you say?" the guard barked out, leveling his weapon at Nina's face. Apparently, the frightened girl had spoken loudly enough for the man to hear, meaning that the small spark of hope that any of them would live through this experience had just been extinguished. "WE'RE NOT ELEVENS, WE'RE JAPANESE!"

At this point, Milly, too, lost her temper, seeing no point in continuing to be nice. If she was going to die anyway, she would hold her head high, as an Ashford should.

"Yes, we're well aware of that," the blonde snapped back at her captor. "Just lay off of her."

The blonde was well aware that it did no good to scream at someone who was already frightened, and so in these last moments, was at least determined to get her friend treated with a measure of respect. Couldn't these brutes see that they were only making the rest of the hostages more agitated than they already were?

But the soldier didn't seem to realize that, as he continued to snarl.

"THEN CORRECT HER!" he roared. "WE'RE NOT CALLED ELEVENS!"

And that was the last straw for Shirley Fenette, who had endured all of this patiently until now, but no longer.

"Fine, we'll correct her!" the orangette snarled at her captor, defiance written all over her face.

"Why you-!" was the instant reply, as rage flashed in the terrorist's eyes. "How dare you speak like that to me? You three, come with me to the next room and I'll teach you a real lesson."

The brute leered at the three young girls of Ashford Academy, making it very clear what his "lesson" would consist of, as Nina's cries of "No! Nooo!" grew more frantic. In the back of the room, Euphemia li Britannia made as if to stand up to announce herself as a more valuable captive, but was stopped by her bodyguard.

"I said get up now!"

Seeing that Nina had been most uncooperative, two of the JLF soldiers grabbed the poor girl by the arms and hauled her bodily to her feet, as the pigtailed girl just wailed in terror, pleading for them to let her go when—

"Stop it!" Euphemia cried out, her words drawing the attention of the guards and causing them to toss Nina to the floor.

"Who the hell are you?" the terrorist demanded, upset that his prospect of a "lesson" had been interrupted.

"I am—"

_BANG!_

The door slammed open and—

"Stop at once!"

Everybody in the room, terrorist and hostage alike froze at the sound of that voice, a powerfully harsh baritone that was immediately familiar from television broadcasts.

'_Avenger? But then, that means…'_ Milly thought, knowing that where this figure of blood and darkness appeared, Zero would not be far behind. _'Maybe there's hope after all, unless he's come to help the JLF…'_

"Avenger!" one of the guards exclaimed, as all of the JLF in the room whirled to face the new arrival, who was apparently a man in a coat and bondage pants of black and silver, over which was worn a crimson longcoat and a black mask with a silver oval for a face. "Have you and the Black Knights come to help us?"

"In a manner of speaking," the Servant replied, a panel on his helmet sliding away to reveal a purple eye glowing red with the sigil of Geass. "I have come...to give you what you deserve."

"Wha-?" one of the terrorists started to say, but couldn't continue, as he found himself rooted to the spot, along with his comrades, all of which were shaking in abject fear as a sensation of impending destruction overwhelmed them, too frightened even to whimper or run away as the glowing eye held them firm.

_Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!_

One by one, they dropped their weapons, bodies shaking in raw panic as Avenger stood before them, his demonic eye blazing upon them with its full fury.

"Pitiful shadows lost to darkness," the Servant intoned, as if casting some sort of spell. "Your hurtful actions to others have tainted your existence beyond all hope of salvation. Your hollow hearts and souls drown in your sins. Now...would you like to see what death is like?"

Mouths dropped open in soundless screams, faces freezing in masks of horror, as the terrorists' minds were exposed to nightmare upon nightmare, learning the true meaning of terror and pain, as one by one, death rattles issued from their lips, their lifeless bodies toppling to the floor.

The task at hand completed, the red glow faded from the man's purple eyes as the panel in the helmet shut, and the man of blood and darkness simply grunted, surveying his handiwork. Apparently satisfied, he then made his way over to Nina, crouching down beside her.

"Are you alright, young lady?" the masked man of mystery asked almost tenderly, to which Nina could only nod, having lost the ability to talk in her shock. "You needn't worry. I'm not here to hurt you."

_'An Eleven...no...but...how did he...?'_

Gently, much more so than one would expect from a masked vigilante, the Servant picked Nina up and carried her back over to where Milly and Shirley waited, setting her down next to the blonde Student Council President.

"Take care of her, please," Avenger said quietly, enjtreating Milly to watch over Nina with a soft touch to her arm, before standing up to address the rest of the hostages. "My dear Britannians, please have no fear. Zero and I have come to rescue you from your captors – even as we speak, my comrade in arms is dealing with the remnants of the JLF."

Understandably, there were whispers of "demon" and "not human" floating through the crowd, to which the masked man only chuckled.

"I have been called those, yes, though whether or not there is truth to those, who can say," the Servant related with a degree of relish, recalling his first battle against Rider in phantasmagoria. "What you think of me, I do not care. However, I give my word as a Black Knight that no harm will come to those who come with me or my associate, as we have secured an escape route."

The Servant snapped his fingers, as a certain redhead with spiky hair, dressed in the black and silver uniform of the Black Knights (with hat and face-obscuring visor included) appeared at the doorway.

"All of you please come with me," he announced, as the hostages got up, their hope overwhelming their uncertainty and terror. Certainly, Avenger was strange—but had he not just defeated their captors? And if he wished to kill them, wouldn't he have done it already? "All of you except Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia."

The pink-haired princess in question turned at the sound of her name to look at the masked figure of Avenger.

"And what will happen to me?" the Sub-Viceroy asked of the Servant. "Am I to become your hostage now?"

From the look in her eyes, Avenger could tell that she would do it, if that was what it took to let the others be saved.

"No…I have given you my word, Your Highness," the masked man replied. "Zero simply wishes to meet the one who the Witch of Britannia dotes upon with such devotion. Still, I applaud that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others…I see you haven't changed."

Before the princess could reply, the redheaded Black Knight took the Sub-Viceroy's arm and led her away, as Avenger looked at the people remaining, masked gaze traveling from one person to the next, as he nodded with silent approval.

"You have all done well to endure in such a place," the Servant commented, before beckoning to the rest of them. "Now, those who wish to leave this place alive, please come with me."

All followed, preferring the devil to the deep blue sea, as it were, with one of the members of the crowd harboring certain suspicions about who Avenger might be.

'_Purple eyes that glow red, harsh ruthlessness contrasted with tenderness, knows Euphemia personally. Avenger...are you...Lelouch?'_

* * *

**Temporary JLF Headquarters,** **Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel**

Meanwhile, in the room where Lt. Colonel Kusakabe of the Japanese Liberation Front had chosen to make as his command center for the duration of the hoteljacking, talks between Zero and the Lt. Colonel were not going well. Not only had they achieved nothing with this mess that could only end in death for all involved, but they actually believed that their deaths would mean something.

'_Fools, to just throw your lives away for no cause at all,' _C.C. thought, her frown concealed behind her mask. _'And you believe that it is right to just take civilians hostage, thus encouraging the Britannians to do the same? You disgust me.'_

And then came the last straw…

"Remove that mask and reveal your real face to us," Kusakabe all but ordered, daring to give the millennia old immortal an order. "It's disrespectful not to."

'_Speaking of disrespect when he has no respect for human life or human beings in general—this man is a disgrace to his rank and nation,' _the Geass Witch mused. _'But then, he's no different from many others I have had to dispose of over the years.'_

"I see," Zero replied, holding the disdain she felt from her voice. "Very well, but before I do, I'd like to ask you something. What exactly do you hope to accomplish by this action?"

To which the Lt. Colonel looked at her as someone would a stupid child, believing the answer to be so blindingly obvious that even a fool would know it well.

"To gain attention, of course," the man spoke, believing in his course of action. "I want this country and the world to know that the Japanese aren't dead yet."

'_I see. I had expected something along those lines, a pitiful reason to condemn other humans to their deaths,'_ C.C. thought, tempted to just shrug at the moment. _'Still…how pathetic. There is no point in having such as these in the Black Knights.'_

"How very stale," Zero said out loud, quickly glancing about the room and noting the number of guards. "I'm afraid there's no point in saving you then."

"What?" asked one of the soldiers stationed in the room. "Why you arrogant…"

"Explain what you mean by that, Zero," Kusakabe ordered, but C.C. had had enough.

"And if I don't?" she countered, her voice low and threatening.

In response, Kusakabe jumped up and drew his katana.

"Then there's no point in talking anymore!" the Lt. Colonel roared, rushing at the masked figure to kill her, but dropped the sword a moment later, freezing like every other figure in the room as the symbol on the Geass Witch's forehead blazed with light, forcing into minds of her enemies unwanted memories, dredging from their heart terror, despair, loneliness, worthless humiliation, darkness, grief, forcing them all to recollect—

"NO! NO! GUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A shrill, piercing cry, and then all of them slumped boneless to the ground, unable to move, unable to speak, their minds utterly destroyed. Taking advantage of the circumstance of their defenseless state, C.C. drew her silenced pistol and put them all out of their misery.

'_It is done.'_

Pulling out a radio, she signaled the others of the Black Knights.

"All forces, this is Zero," she said. "Finish eliminating the JLF and then proceed to the planned rendezvous point for extraction. Countdown to final phase is 10 minutes."

_Knock! Knock!_

Hearing a knock, Zero walked over to the door and opened it, finding to her satisfaction Servant Rider and Princess Euphemia li Britannia.

"Perhaps we should hold this conversation on the way to out," the masked vigilante remarked, realizing that the room she had just vacated was full of corpses.

The two others could only nod, falling in to step behind the one named Zero.

"I hear that you are the Sub-Viceroy now, Princess Euphemia li Britannia," the immortal witch noted coolly. "I suppose I should congratulate you on your appointment."

"It's not an appointment I'm happy with," the pink-haired princess replied, glancing sideways at the mysterious figure that rumors spoke about alternately as inhuman monster capable of fighting Knightmares with her bare hands, or a savior of the weak, champion of the frail.

'_Ah, curious about me, is she…?'_

"I can imagine so, because Clovis was slain by my hand," C.C. answered frankly, wanting to get that topic of conversation out of the way as soon as possible. "In his time, he ordered the execution of thousands to preserve his position, killing the helpless, engaged in torture and human experimentation for his own benefit, and more."

"So is that the reason that you killed my brother?" Euphemia demanded, looking over at Zero's form.

"Yes, for the sake of justice," the Geass Witch answered. "For the sake of avenging all those innocents he slew in his quest to preserve his position—just as I have punished the Japan Liberation Front for cowardly taking Britannian civilians hostage and executing them."

"Justice?" the sub-viceroy repeated. "But vengeance isn't…"

"Who speaks for the weak, for the powerless?" Zero broke in, stopping as she turned to face the princess. "The courts? The police? Trying to change things from within does no good, since Britannia is a nation that only respects strength."

"Then what is your solution?" asked the Third Imperial Princess. "A dear friend of mine told me that you might know how to break the cycle of hate. Do you?"

"It begins with hope, Euphemia li Britannia," C.C. responded, her low voice almost gentle, even as she glanced at the form of Kallen from behind her mask. "It begins with giving people the courage to hope—and work for—a better tomorrow."

As if to punctuate the Witch's point, the hotel beginning to shake, and the three quickly decided that the conversation was over as they reached the designated extraction point.

'_Berserker is approaching, which can only mean the White Knightmare…'_

"Time to go," Zero noted, speaking into the radio once again. "We are a go for extraction."

_Beep. BOOM!_

And with that, the hotel came tumbling down.

* * *

**Lake Kawaguchi**

Finally, after a day of so much going wrong, something had gone right for the Britannians: the Lancelot had managed to eradicate the linear cannon in the utilities tunnel, going on to destroy the foundation block of the hotel, beginning the sinking process—during which the Royal Guard could be sent in. They had just let out a collective sigh of relief when—

_BOOM!_

—the hotel was engulfed in a series of explosions, the structure destabilizing, vanishing in a plume of smoke and falling debris.

"NO! NOT AGAIN!" Suzaku screamed from within his Lancelot, urging the charging through the plunging fragments of concrete, glass and metal – all of which seemed to be converging on his Knightmare Frame for some reason, draining his Blaze Luminous with every hit.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi, don't do it!" the normally calm Cecile shrieked from her position at the Special Corps vehicle.

"EUPHIE!" And of course, that was Cornelia's voice, her face contorted into a mask of horror as she looked on at the destruction. Had she failed? Had trusting Zero been a mistake? Had—

The Lancelot skidded to a halt, as a final volley of debris smashed into its legs from behind as if to add insult to injury, the impact breaking off one of its Landspinner units. With the propulsion system temporarily out of commission, Suzaku could do nothing more, nothing more except weep…

"I couldn't save them," he muttered. "Not a single one. Everyone's dead…I failed. Not again!"

Once again, it seemed that Berserker was responsible only for death and disaster, as his class implied. For in the end, he was nothing more than a failure that could not even—

The smoke cleared as a TV camera feed was initialized, and upon the lake was revealed a small flotilla of lifeboats surrounding a single ship, a ship upon which the members of the Black Knights stood, forms awash in light.

"My dear Britannians, have no fear," spoke the one who was seemingly Zero's chief lieutenant, the man who wore a distinctive crimson longcoat and black mask on top of the usual Black Knight uniform. "All of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound. I, Avenger, return them to you unharmed."

On the shore, Cornelia ground her teeth, irritated that Zero would once again escape…and would use these rescued hostages as a passive shield, preventing the Britannian forces from capturing the Black Knights.

"Of all the brazen audacity," she muttered, furious—but still relieved that Euphemia had been saved. "If we attack you those people will quickly become your hostages, won't they?"

"As promised," Avenger continued, his own flair for the dramatic quite apparent, "we will not tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong, for we of the Black Knights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield—whether they be Japanese or Britannians."

From one of the lifeboats, the Student Council President of Ashford Academy was paying much closer attention to the Black Knights now than she had when they had first made their debut.

'_The voice…yes, that fits too, as well as the eyes and the penchant for chess motifs. Avenger…are you…? Then does that mean that…? Just how many secrets do you have?'_

Then Zero took the microphone, her harsh contralto a perfect complement to Avenger's baritone.

"The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage," C.C. said without compassion, "and they mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore they have been punished. As we have said from the beginning …wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again, as we have in Saitama, and now here as well. We will appear no matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be.…"

Both spoke together, their voices resonating for a much greater effect than one would normally have.

"…for the only ones who should kill, are those prepared to be killed!"

* * *

**A/N:**The hoteljacking incident has been resolved, suspicions are sown, and seeds of a future are born. As always, reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading.

* * *

**Omake**

To put it mildly, Avenger was slightly miffed at how C.C. continually imposed her whims upon the Black Knights, with this latest idea for "more personal service" for the people at the top of his list of complaints. The Witch had pointed out that rather than seek out targets of investigation, the Black Knights might be better served by having a website through which people could send anonymous tips-allowing the general public to report things that angered them. In theory, this would potentially give the Order more targets of investigation, allowing them to crack down on corruption, crime, and wrongdoing in general-though, too, this would also lead to a higher volume of false leads from pranksters, or possibly from the Britannian Government looking for ways to lure the Black Knights into a trap.

To counter this, the immortal witch had suggested that it be linked in no way to the Black Knights, instead calling the site "Hell Correspondence", based on a manga that one of the former resistance group members had brought into the base one day, further ordering that that site-like its namesake, be only accessible at midnight, with appropriate rumors to be spread on forums and message boards.

These alone though, Avenger could dismiss as his master's desire for amusement (little of which was to be found in immortality), conceding that there might actually be some valid data gathered from the site-as it would allow users to not only submit names of enemies, but also attachments on what the individuals in question had done to harm them (with a certain user by the name of "PuddingMecha11" - highly suspected to be someone in the government - submitting entire case files and dossiers on corrupt nobility), what he found most annoying was his own role in the operation.

"Look, Zero," the Servant tried to reason, even knowing all the while that it wouldn't do any good. "I know you want to present a new face for the Black Knights, but I'm not exactly-"

But the Code-bearer simply cut him off with an upraised hand, a dangerous smirk forming behind her mirrored mask.

"You'll do fine, _Lulu_," the immortal answered sardonically, her voice dripping with a most malicious sense of mirth. "What with your crossdressing fetish and all. Don't bother denying it-I've heard all about that from Sayoko, and besides, all of this comes out of your closet."

Indeed, said Servant was currently in full Luluko mode, attired in a black kimono patterned with lanterns (like those released on the water during the ghost festival to give guidance to lost souls), with the addition of red contact lenses, a long black wig flowing down to "her" waist, and other minor little accoutrements.

"...that was because she found _your_ clothes in my room, Witch," Avenger pouted, trying to hang onto what dignity he had left. "As for the crossdressing ball, that's just one of the crazy events that Milly puts on. Besides, what if someone recognizes me?"

_'Or worse, what if someone from Ashford sees me in this getup and more rumors start flying?'_

"Like this? But Lelouch, you don't look anything like you do as Avenger," C.C. commented wryly, which was rather putting it mildly. Avenger was a frightening figure who seemed of blood and fire, a dramatic figure in any case. But this guise... "After all, who would suspect Lelouch vi Britannia, Champion of the Eden Vital War, right hand of Zero, exiled prince of the Empire of being...Hell Girl?"

_Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!_

That was the sound of the new Jigoku Shoujo smacking "her" head against a desk. Repeatedly.

_'Why did I ever agree to this contract?'_


	16. Innocent Masquerade

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

To say that it had been a very draining weekend for certain members of the Ashford Academy Student Council would have been a rather glaring understatement. After the Lake Kawaguchi 'hoteljacking' incident and the subsequent, dramatic rescue of the hostages by the Black Knights, the media had relentlessly fixated on them, hounding them with questions. Not that returning to Ashford Academy had proved any better, as other students took the media's place in the halls, the dorms, the classrooms-even the baths!

Finally, the badgered and beleaguered group of Milly, Nina, and Shirley had sought refuge within the Student Council Clubhouse, where they found Kallen and Lelouch apparently dozing off, with Kallen lying on the sofa, and Lelouch sitting at the table in the trademark chin on hand position that had kept teachers from catching him sleeping in class.

'_Those two have certainly been spending a lot of time around one another,'_ Milly thought to herself as she eyed the two sleeping figures, somehow less than surprised. _'And from what Shirley and Rivalz have said, both of them have been sleeping in class a lot lately—as if they've been up late at night.'_

Ordinarily, the blonde wouldn't have given it much thought, since Kallen did suffer from an illness of some sort, and Lelouch always did like to go out gambling (among other things) at night, but in the wake of recent events…

'_If you two aren't going out, then I wonder what you're up to…'_

Thinking back to when Avenger had barged into the room where she and the others were held captive, Milly could remember a redheaded figure following the masked vigilante, one whose proportions and measurements would be just about fit the soft-spoken noble.

Shirley just looked on in horror, seeing the two in the same room together alone, thinking the spectacle a nightmare come to life—that Kallen really was going out with Lelouch after all, in spite of the girl's vehement denials—in spite of the girl's strange relationship with the Sub-Viceroy.

'_Hmph. Kallen steals Lulu, dates the Sub-Viceroy, denies it all. What's next? For Lulu to start dating the Sub-Viceroy too, with the three of them happy in a one true threesome?ǃ'_

The poor girl did have a rather great talent for misunderstanding the situation, though given the available data set and her obsession with the dark prince, it was somewhat understandable.

'_She always reacts so violently to such things, making it so much fun to tease her,'_ Milly thought to herself, rather amused. _'But then, that _is_ part of Shirley's appeal, besides being supple and willing. Unlike Lelouch, who is more of an ice prince and a leader of—'_

"—the Black Knights!" Kallen exclaimed, bolting upright on the couch where had been lying, only to look around in puzzlement as she recognized her surroundings. "Oh."

There was a short round of laughter, as the outburst broke the tension in the room.

"I think they're cool too," mentioned Rivalz, sticking his head in the door as the laughter died down. He had just returned from running one errand or another. "But you don't have to dream about them, do you? I mean, look at Lelouch…who knows what he's dreaming about."

Unfortunately, Servant Rider knew very well what Avenger was dreaming about, having just returned to reality from a brutal training session in Phantasmagoria, in Zero's world, no less, where the immortal had taken it upon herself to prepare them for things to come. The immortal had warned them that the next few fights would not be as easy as the ones she had already experienced—though Avenger's master did concede that Rider was probably better prepared when it came to combat than Avenger himself, who needed significantly more practice.

'_Which annoys me, considering that Lelouch beat me when we first fought,'_ the redhead thought to herself, remembering the sheer horror and psychic pressure of Avenger's world, and the way the demon had outwitted her. _'Though I allow, grudgingly, that he is a better strategist than I am.'_

"I guess I was just worried about all of you, after hearing about what happened this weekend," Kallen lied gracefully, her soft-spoken persona coming to her rescue here. "I'm just glad the Black Knights were there to save you."

"Yes," Nina Einstein spoke up from the corner where she was working on her computer, a very slight blush apparent on her cheeks. "Like…Avenger."

Due to the shock and pressure she had been experiencing at the time, Nina didn't remember what happened too well, only that Avenger, the Sub-Commander of the Black Knights, had stopped the Elevens from doing who knows what to her and her friends—without so much as firing a shot. And that afterwards, the man of shadow and flame had been very gentle with her as he guided all the hostages to the lifeboats, making sure she was alright. This of course, only had the effect of confusing the poor girl, who didn't know what to think: on one hand, the masked vigilante _had_ saved her. On the other hand…exactly who or what was he? An Eleven? No…she didn't think any Eleven would have such charisma and power, but then…why would a Britannian be fighting against Britannia?

Really, it was hard for any Britannian to know what to think of the Black Knights as a whole, though the leadership of the Knights in particular raised questions that most would rather not answer. Zero and Avenger had almost singlehandedly thrown the Area into chaos, and…really, had not done anything too villainous, if they were villains at all.

"Oh, that's right," Kallen responded, suppressing an inward groan at the thought of yet another Avenger fangirl. _'Just what the world needed, for Lelouch to get an even bigger head.' _ "You actually met him, didn't you? What was he like?"

'_Besides difficult, sometimes condescending, troublesome, demanding, not easily satisfied, and…he's worse than his master sometimes.'_

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced over at Lelouch's sleeping form, noting that he was _still_ in phantasmagoria. Whatever Zero wanted to talk to him about, it was certainly taking a while.

"Very charismatic, almost like a dark prince with a flair for the dramatic," Milly replied, choosing her words carefully as she recalled the appearance and stance of the sub-commander of the Black Knights. "Mysterious, but kind, frightening in some ways, utterly ruthless to those who crossed him, gentle to those he saves. A man of shadows, a walking bundle of contradictions. That's Avenger in a nutshell."

"Unghhh."

As if the description of Lelouch's alternate identity had been some sort of cue, the prince in exile chose that moment to stir from his trance, his physical body once again responsive as consciousness returned. On waking, he looked around, and to his surprise, found the Student Council assembled. There had no been meetings scheduled for the day, he thought, and with classes postponed due to…_ah._

"I'm glad you all came back alive," the raven-haired prince said with one of his languid smiles. "I guess I should give your 'Guts' spell more credit than I thought, Madame Prez."

"Guuuuts!" Milly echoed jokingly, pumping her arm, never missing a chance to broadcast her "spellcasting" prowess, causing the Servant to chuckle warmly.

"Nice to see you in good humor after what happened," Lelouch continued, straightening himself up and finishing the process of switching his mental gear to the concerns the current reality. C.C. had insisted he learn how to use the gunblades he carried in his Champion form, or at least learn how to lift them for prolonged periods of time, and the result had been…draining, to say the least. "I know it must have been a difficult experience for you. You too, Shirley, Nina."

From anyone else, Milly would have taken those comments as naïve but well-meaning, but the Ashford heir knew very well that Lelouch understood the pressure of being a hostage. After all, upon the former prince's exile from Britannia, he and his sister had essentially lived the life of a political hostage—until Britannia decided to sacrifice them in the invasion of Japan, casting aside the weak for the benefit of the strong. Was that where the darkness in him had first been born? After his mother was murdered and he himself cast into a foreign land, along with his sister? Milly understood what that was like all too well…

Shirley just blushed at being acknowledged by her unrequited love, while Nina simply nodded, looking back to her computer.

"Thanks, Lulu," the Student Council President responded to her subordinate. "But one question—what are you up to night after night? From what I hear, you sleep through most of your classes."

"You're going out gambling again, aren't you, Lulu?ǃ" Shirley cried out, then looked from Lelouch to Kallen and back to Lelouch, her expression quickly growing fearful once again. "Or…"

Not surprisingly, the orangette didn't want to give voice to her greatest fear.

"Don't worry, Shirley, I've found another hobby," the raven-haired prince replied, though that didn't reassure the girl at all, given her other fear.

'_I knew it…he's been going out with Kallen,' _the orangette concluded, as usual, coming to the wrong conclusions. '_And every night, they've been…or maybe, with the Sub-Viceroy too…NOOOOOOO!'_

A mental wail of utter anguish...

"Another hobby?" Rivalz chimed in, not being able to read the situation. "And you didn't tell me about it? C'mon Lelouch…"

For a time, the group continued to talk, their camaraderie and light conversation a pleasant change from what had gone before, making this day seem like any other day—exactly what was needed in the wake of the weekend. But soon enough it was time for most to go, departing for one destination or another—the dorms for most, the Stadtfeld estate for Kallen, and Lelouch—

Well, considering that he lived in the Student Council Clubhouse, Lelouch didn't really need to travel too far, but before he could even take one step out of the room, the prince-in-exile felt a tugging on the back of his uniform and stopped, raising an eyebrow at the sight of a quiet Milly, for once.

"Could you…stay and talk with me a while longer, Lulu?" The Ashford heir asked of him, her bright blue eyes soft in the afternoon light. Somehow, she seemed troubled, almost vulnerable—and when she looked like that, even the Black Prince did not have the heart to refuse her. "In private?"

"Sure, Madame President, I am but your servant of course," the Servant said with a slight bow, removing her hand from his jacket carefully, so that he could lock the door of the Student Council room. When he had done so in order to ensure no interruptions, he turned back to his friend. "What can I do for you, Milly?"

But Milly was facing away from him, looking out the window, her silhouette framed by the light of the sun.

"You know, secrets are an interesting thing, aren't they Lelouch?" she murmured just loud enough to hear, as the young man walked over to stand beside her, both of them looking into the distance. "One or two, we can bear on our own, but…"

"…when you have too many, they can break you," the prince replied in turn. More than anyone else, Lelouch vi Britannia understood secrets—understood how others sought them, understood that mystery was in a sense power, understood the terrible burden they imposed on a person. "Something you want to share with me?"

There was a long pause, as both teens were silent, and then—

"You know how I am, Lelouch vi Britannia," the blonde whispered almost ruefully, giving the prince-in-exile a sideways glance, her lips twisting slightly. "You know I'm a person who has always been a little too observant, a little too hungry for secrets, but someone who is absolutely loyal to her friends, right? But then, you're like that too, aren't you? A spider couched in a web of secrets and lies."

Somehow, this conversation was sending warning bells through Avenger's mind, as it was very rare for Milly to be so direct with him.

"Do you have something you want to tell me?" the Servant asked curiously, looking over at the girl standing beside him, who had already kept so many of his secrets and woven his current identity of Lelouch Lamperouge.

This question prompted a snort of laughter from Milly, who rolled her eyes, even as she reached out and took his hand.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" the blonde asked in turn, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Mr. Prince-in-Exile, Black Knight sympathizer, and closet magician, with spells more powerful than 'Guts.'"

"Hm?" Avenger mumbled noncommittally, curious as to what she would say, though even he was slightly surprised by her next words.

"I guess I just wanted to say thank you," Milly whispered, glancing over at the Servant once more. "For everything."

"Oh? And what brought this on?" the Servant questioned gently.

"This weekend," came the soft reply, with the blonde looking away once again. "As you might imagine, I had a lot of time to think."

"You don't have to thank me," Avenger noted quietly, attempting to make a joke about it. "It's not like I tipped off the Black Knights or anything."

Another chuckle, low and knowing.

"No, you just led them."

At those words, Avenger's body stiffened as he tried to suppress his fear, though he managed to force himself to relax and remain casual. Could he bluff his way through this? Probably not, Milly knew him too well, and besides, she would have sensed the moment of stiffness through their entwined fingers.

"Whatever might you be talking about, Milly?" the Servant asked smoothly. "I'm certainly not the leader of the Black Knights, since as you pointed out last time we talked, Zero is a woman."

"No, you're right," the blonde conceded, with an edge to her voice. "You're certainly not Zero, are you…Avenger?"

At the mention of his alternate identity, Lelouch's body sagged as if he had taken a hit to the gut. This had been unexpected, though if anyone were to figure it out, he supposed it would have been the one who already was privy to most of his secrets.

"…how did you find out?" he asked quietly, resolving to limit the spread of information. "And does anyone else know about this?"

"Because you can't keep secrets from me, Lulu," Milly answered lightly, though her tone grew serious a moment later. "No one else knows about this, Lelouch, since they don't know your other secrets—and no one else will, since I'll keep this secret like the others. I've seen your magic eye, remember? I know that you are a prince-in-exile, whose first love was Princess Euphemia. And I also know how ruthless you can be towards those who anger you, since you've spoken to me about your bitterness against Britannia more than once, and how gentle to those you call friends."

"Anything else?"

"And…well, I know your touch," Milly Ashford answered, a hint of a smirk on her lips. "Know it very well, in fact."

Even the cold and cynical Lelouch vi Britannia blushed at this, swallowing once and turning his head – finding himself looking into a pair of bright blue eyes.

"My touch?" the Servant repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you know, when you asked me to take care of Nina," the blonde said to him, an ever-so-faint smile playing at the edges of her lips. "Like a knight coming to the rescue at the last moment, vanquishing his foes, then asking a favor of his lady. Though you'd be more of a squishy wizard…"

Her eyes glinted with amusement as she poked him in the stomach, causing the Servant to stumble back a step or two.

"I _have_ been trying to work on that…required training," Lelouch replied brusquely, clearly uncomfortable discussing his physical weaknessed. "Zero is nothing if not demanding."

"One would think you'd prefer PE classes," Milly rejoined slyly, looking mischievously at him. Then she thought of something. "Though…if you're Avenger, does this make the redhaired girl who was with you Kallen?"

The Servant said nothing, only raising an eyebrow, though that lack of denial was as good as an admission in its own right.

"I thought that looked like her, and I figured she might be, since she spends so much time with you," the blonde murmured, tilting her head in thought. "Especially after finding out that you, a former prince of Britannia were in fact one of its greatest enemies."

"It would be best not to let her know you figured it out, since she can be a little impulsive," Lelouch admonished gently, a bit of worry in his eyes. "I wouldn't want to see you get hurt, Milly, as you and I are very much alike. Children thrown away by Britannia, forgotten after…"

"…after the death of Lady Marianne?"

A simple nod of acknowledgement.

"Do you know my wish, why Zero and I created the Black Knights?" Avenger asked, after a moment. "It wasn't just to cause chaos, or to defy Britannia."

"Oh?" Milly asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then why?"

"I wanted to create a gentler world," Lelouch replied, a sad smile on his face. "A world where the weak were not swallowed up by the strong, a world where Nunnally could live in peace."

"Ah, I see," the blonde voiced, comprehending. "That's why you fight against corruption and oppression for the sake of those without strength of their own. A noble pursuit for a prince, though not in the apathetic guise you normally wear."

"Why thank you, Lady Ashford," the exiled prince teased. "I'm glad it meets with your approval."

"I just have one question," the blonde asked of her companion, turning him so that the two looked one another in the eye. Her expression was sharp with intent, fraught with meaning.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Lelouch questioned, curious. Then his voice grew much more serious. "I do hope you will keep my and Kallen's involvement with the Black Knights a secret, as you've kept so many others of mine."

"I'll do even better: How can I help?"

Both of Lelouch's eyebrows shot up towards the ceiling in surprise. There were not too many things in the world that could stun Avenger, but this was one of them.

"You want to join the Black Knights?" he asked, almost incredulous.

"Of course," Milly all but purred, her free hand going to stroke his cheek. "You saved my life, didn't you, Lulu? The least I can do is show you my…gratitude."

_Gulp!_

The Servant swallowed, hard, still quite weak against romance and physical contact in general.

"Are you any good with public relations?" he asked, after a moment, assessing her skills and how they might fit in to what the Knights needed. Currently, one of the needed positions was indeed someone who knew the media, and it would make leaving the campus easier if Milly could cover for him and Sayoko, but—

"You forget who you're talking to."

* * *

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

Back in her office, Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia was finding it difficult to concentrate on her work. Try as she might to think about other matters, to focus on the tasks at hand, her mind kept finding its way back to the Black Knights, specifically to their two leaders, Zero and Avenger. The princess had had the dubious pleasure of meeting both of them during the hoteljacking incident, and now her thoughts were filled with their words, puzzling as they were.

"_Still, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others…you haven't changed," _Avenger had said upon seeing her, recognizing her on sight. This implied that they had met before, but the pink-haired princess had not noted anything of the other that she recognized, whether the voice, the stance, or the harshness of his nature.

'_Nor do I know anyone with the power to kill with words alone,' _the Sub-Viceroy thought to herself, shuddering as she remembered how the members of the JLF who had been guarding the hostages had dropped dead all at once, their bodies jerking and twitching like puppets with their strings cut after Avenger finished his low chant. _'In some ways, he is more frightening than Zero herself…'_

Zero, after all, had never been seen to strike first, only turning the weapons of her enemies against them, while Avenger had simply walked in and struck down the terrorists without a single weapon being fired, preventing any unnecessary deaths. Having seen their abilities, it was hard to think of them as completely human, but they had both proven to be humanitarians, sharing the common goal of helping the weak.

'_Is that why Kallen thinks they can break the cycle of violence?'_

Certainly, there was rampant corruption in Britannia itself, as well as in most of the world – could anyone hope to stop that? As her dear friend had said on the day they met, it was impossible to make all the bad things in the world go away, but was it possible that the Black Knights could do something about it, could begin the process of change?

"_It begins with hope, Euphemia li Britannia. It begins with giving people the courage to hope—and work for—a better tomorrow."_

Those had been the words of the infamous Zero, the woman who had calmly stood in defiance against oppression, and for the first time, shown that someone could back up those words with actions, challenging Britannia in Shinjuku, the Zero Intervention and Saitama, challenging the resistance at the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel, and almost constantly fighting against criminal elements in the system.

(This last part she knew well to be true, as the Governor General routinely took information from case documents and investigation reports and submitted them to the Black Knights, saying that they were the best tool for the job. It was probably a good thing Cornelia didn't know, or else Earl Asplund's brains would most likely be decorating a wall at the moment.)

And though the Sub-Viceroy detested violence and combat with a passion, she knew that in some cases it was necessary to prevent worse. If Avenger had not intervened, for instance, who knows what the Japanese Liberation Front's soldiers would have done to the three young girls who stood up to them-or to the rest of the hostages. And if Zero had not acted in Shinjuku or Saitama, who knew how many thousands more would be dead?

'_Clovis…did you really do the things Zero accused you of? Torture and human experimentation, the execution of thousands, and more?'_ the Third Princess wondered, finding it hard to believe that her brother would have done such things. She knew that he held a grudge against Area 11 because it had claimed the lives of Lelouch and Nunnally, but to think that he would go to that extent to punish people who had nothing to do with their deaths... _'Did you really force Zero to kill you in order to save innocent lives?'_

It was not a comfortable thought, thinking of the masked vigilante slaying her brother, but the princess had to concede that if those had been the circumstances, there was no other alternative. The Numbers did indeed have very few rights, with most denied entrance to the Honorary Britannian system—and worse, Honorary Britannians were still discriminated against. Who would take the side of the weak?

Not the Emperor of Britannia, certainly. That much her father had made clear in his speech condemning equality as a great evil, promoting social Darwinism as the only way to advance.

The Governor General of Area 11? He wasn't prejudiced in the same way most Britannians were, but he didn't really take anyone's side, as he didn't care about the Britannian vs Number divide, just results. He even used them to crack down on Refrain dealers, as well as corrupt politicians he found troublesome to deal with, going outside the system to achieve his desired ends. That and the impracticality of going after the Black Knights (the man had cited the very one-sided result of recent battles) had been his reasoning for allowing them to remain free against Cornelia's will, though he had been very tempted to reconsider when he found out what happened to his Lancelot in the Lake Kawaguchi incident.

Cornelia? No, Euphie knew without a doubt that Cornelia didn't care one iota about the Numbers, only about how to benefit Britannia.

Which left the Black Knights…the organization that Britannia had vowed to destroy, having proven themselves more than just a minor thorn in the Empire's side.

'…_and Kallen.'_

The one Britannian she knew who thought that things needed to change, who had been brave enough to speak her mind even to defend the dead, kind enough to weep for them—who had saved her from her plunge.

"Kallen, I know you think that Zero has an answer," the Sub-Viceroy murmured, shaking her head as if to clear it. "But what would you make of all this? Of Avenger's words and power? Of Zero's vision of hope? Of Britannia? What would you think…of me?"

**

* * *

**

**Stadtfeld Manor**

Having just returned home from Ashford Academy, Kallen Kozuki was intending to catch up on much needed rest, at least until the nightfall, when the Black Knights had scheduled a raid on a known Refrain distribution point. It would certainly be nice to sleep, after the events of the last few days, and—

"Mistress Kallen, Mistress Kallen!"

What could it be? What could that maid want? Could she possibly have a visitor? But no one ever came to visit, since her father was back in the homeland, so—

'_Oh well…I might as well go see what it is, or else she'll never shut up,'_ the redhead thought rather uncharitably, exiting her room and going down the stairs to find…

"Vice President Lamperouge?" slipped from her mouth, as the girl taken aback by the sight of her comrade in arms standing at the door.

'_What could he be doing here?'_

"Miss Stadtfeld," the prince in exile said graciously in greeting, nodding as if to acknowledge a member of the nobility. "As Madame President cannot leave campus due to the media, she asked me to give you something on her behalf."

'_Leave it to Lelouch to be able to sound like a prince when he wants to, that damned master of lies.'_

"Where would like me to show him to?" asked Kallen's mother, a Japanese woman who had remained in the Stadtfeld house as a maid. "The parlor perhaps or maybe..."

'_There's no one around for now, and I don't want my stepmother overhearing us, in case it is something more urgent he has to discuss.'_

"We'll be in my room," the redhead stated harshly, brooking no argument. Really, she didn't understand why the woman meddled so much.

"As you wish," her maid of a mother said, bowing.

"Oh?" came a voice from above, the hated tones of her stepmother. "I heard you had a friend down here. I was right, it was a boy. So he's the one you've been with while out at night, missing school, visiting the ghetto. You're lucky your father's back in the homeland."

The woman sneered, focusing her ire on her stepdaughter.

"No fighting one's blood is there."

"You're the one who enjoying dad not being around you, aren't you?" Kallen snapped back, unwilling to take any insults to her heritage. Besides, she knew that her stepmother took advantage of her father's absence to bring a different man into her bed each night, so—

_Crash!_

An expensive vase fell to the floor, knocked down inadvertently by Kallen's mother, who was now crouching over the pieces.

"Oh dear, what have I done?" murmured Kallen's true mother, truly distraught.

As expected, Kallen's stepmother missed no chance to insult the maid, who was, after all, just an Eleven.

"What's wrong with you?" the noblewoman all but snarled.

"Forgive me my lady, forgive me," whispered Kallen's mother, body bowed in submission as she picked up the pieces.

"Can't you do anything right, besides selling your body like this?" snapped the noblewoman, looking down disapprovingly at the maid, then at Kallen, then at—

A flash of red, and the stepmother staggered.

"Cold…so cold…" the noblewoman mumbled, as she lurched back to her room, arms wrapped around herself, but unable to block the sudden feelings of humiliation, scorn, neglect, depression, despair and loneliness that washed over her all of the sudden, a oppressive power she could not refuse, a power draining her of all hope and vitality. "I'm…so…"

She managed only to reach her room, get inside, and close the door before she collapsed, curled into a fetal position, muttering about the cold. She wouldn't die, but she would experience every bit of what she imagined death would feel like, fraught with every scrap of terror and malice she had ever inflicted, being used over and over like the little whore that she was. And there would be no escape from the torments, the blackmailing, the anguish...not even death.

Sometime later, the two Servants were sitting in Kallen's rather large room, with Lelouch studying the surroundings to find them much as he would expect of a noble daughter—a private sitting room, a piano, and much more.

"Quite a complicated home like you have, isn't it?" Avenger commented quietly, recalling the incident from before. He knew that Kallen was half-Britannian, and that normally, she was much more tolerant of Japanese people, so that meant that the maid had most likely been… _'her mother.'_

"I don't want to hear it from you, Lamperouge," the redhead said, glaring at him. "It's not any more complicated than your life anyway, I'm sure."

"You'd be surprised," the prince-in-exile replied, raising an eyebrow. "I live alone with my sister Nunnally, and my maid Sayoko, so things are pretty simple. But you…"

"Well, let's get to the point of your visit," Kallen interjected, cutting the boy off. "What was it Milly wanted you to give me?"

Reaching into his jacket, Servant Avenger extracted a blue envelope with the seal of Ashford Academy emblazoned upon it, placing it on the table between them.

"This," Lelouch answered succinctly, then judging that it wouldn't be enough, decided to add a little more. "Your transcript since middle school. The principal wanted Milly to give this to you, but since she couldn't leave campus…"

Kallen slumped as she realized the implications of this.

"So my secrets out, then, isn't it?" she muttered, unhappy to find this out. "Milly knows that I'm actually an Eleven and Britannian half-breed."

That would probably cause problems for her cover, though at least the President herself hadn't come by to hear her stepmother's remarks – learning that would probably have ruined her frail image entirely.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Lelouch tried to reassure her. "She's quite good at keeping secrets, and fiercely loyal to her friends."

"Lelouch, the woman who yelled at—did you use your power on her?" Kallen broke off, casting a glance at the dark Servant, though his face remained impassive, giving no hints as to what she did. "Anyway, that was my stepmother. My real mother was that clout of a maid, who knocked over the vase."

"Why do you hate her so much?" Avenger asked, ducking the question of whether he had used his power. "Aren't you fighting for the sake of the Japanese? For the weak?"

Kallen only sighed, shaking her head as she extracted the papers from the envelope and looked over them.

"My mother is such a fool," Rider said mournfully. "In the end, she wound up a servant. She doesn't have any real skills. And no matter who's ridiculing her, all she could is laugh like it's nothing."

"So because she didn't choose to be independent, and remained here, you despise her?" the prince-in-exile inquired. "Are you sure there were no other reasons for it?"

"She didn't have to choose to stay in this house, you know?" Kallen huffed, unable to stomach weakness in someone so close to her. It was easy enough to fight for the concept of defending the weak, but when confronted by the reality that someone one knew was so fragile… "She's just clinging to some old lover who jolted her."

"Is that so?" Avenger murmured, a trace of sympathy in his voice—but sympathy for Kallen's mother, not for the girl herself.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't hate her," Kallen responded, trying to prevent a misunderstanding. "I just find her depressing."

Indeed, Kallen saw her mother's submission as a sign of weakness, as a sign of everything that she wasn't—which was why she had covered up her mother's face in her childhood pictures, why she treated the woman with such venom—because she saw that as an alternate path that she had rejected with all her heart, the embodiment of everything she despised in herself.

"And yet you play the part of the oppressor well," Lelouch commented, regarding the girl before him with a critical eye. "In this place where the wife, and daughter, and the other woman all live together, you have completely become a Britannian."

"Wha—?" Kallen hissed, taken aback, glaring at her fellow Servant. "What do you know about what I have to go through? You don't have to see your moth—"

Realizing her mistake, Kallen stopped in mid sentence, though it was too late to take back the faux pas she had just committed.

"You're right," Avenger answered, his words rather caustic as he glared at Rider. "I don't have to see my mother. She's dead, murdered by the Britannian nobility, remember? But your mother is alive, having chosen to stay by your side…for why else would she stay in this house?"

An uncomfortable silence reigned for some time, before Kallen found the nerve to break it.

"Sorry, I had forgotten about your past for a moment," Rider murmured apologetically. "I guess compared to that, this isn't unbearable…"

"A dear friend once told me that there were some things in life that we can bear on their own," Lelouch replied evenly, recalling an earlier conversation. "But when added up with one another, they eventually break you. I wouldn't wonder if your mother was broken by everything that has happened to her—she was shaking pretty badly, more than is natural for anyone."

"You must think you're pretty cool, huh?" Kallen nearly spat at the man. "Just playing the critic and judging the world from the sidelines. You don't understand my circumstances. Even if you are Avenger, I guess I was a fool to expect anything more from you. I don't know but I thought…I thought you would understand."

* * *

**Refrain Distribution Warehouse, Tokyo Settlement**

Avenger and Rider had parted on rather troubled terms after their disagreement, not meeting again until the warehouse raid that night. Besides toppling Britannian rule, the Black Knights understood that suppressing the distribution of Refrain was a top priority, as the psychotropic drug was one that had done so much harm to much of the Japanese population, allowing them to lose themselves in the past, escaping the present—sometimes for good.

C.C. had more personal reasons she was against the drugs, as it was based on the chemical changes wrought by one aspect of the Emperor of Britannia's geass, allowing the recall of the most vivid memories in one's life (usually the happiest), while at the same time working to destroy the minds of those who used it.

'_Just like Charles to turn his Geass into a weapon of this sort…'_ the immortal witch thought, angry at this rampant abuse of the gift. _'This must be stopped before it corrupts many more people, both for the sake of the War, and for the sake of basic human decency…'_

"Another of Zero's operations, eh?" one of the Black Knights commented, waiting for Avenger to finish his infiltration. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

"After all her talk about bringing down Britannia," another added, grumbling about things as usual, "she just has us running around stamping out crime—helping the regime."

"Still," Ohgi cut in, considering all that had happened. "It feels pretty good to have the will of the people behind us, though."

Certainly, it was a welcome change from how the resistance groups had been regarded prior to the formation of the Order of Black Knights, when they had just been nuisances at best, and a dirty secret that no one would admit to being associated with.

"Yeah, he's right," one of the others noted, nodding. "Since Zero showed up, we've totally become heroes on the Net."

But Kallen's thoughts kept drifting back to her mother, and the disagreement she had had with Avenger this afternoon.

"Are we in the right?" she muttered half-heartedly, wondering just what was the point of trying to be strong, if doing so made her more of a Britannian. "I don't know any more."

'_Why did Avenger…?'_

A green flash of light.

"There's the signal from Avenger," one of the Black Knights whispered. "I can't believe he got in there."

"How many tricks do he and Zero have up their sleeves, anyway?" another wondered out loud, expressing the collective thoughts of most of those present—including Kallen, who to this day was unsure of Zero's true abilities.

Rider could change the trajectory of moving objects. Avenger could return onto others the pain and suffering they had dealt—even killing them, if he so chose. But Zero? Who knew about Zero, and her tricks.

'_The only thing I know for certain is that she disabled the White Knightmare in Shinjuku, is Avenger's Master, and knows far more than I do about the Phantasm Worlds.'_

But there was nothing to be done for that now, except to move in and finish this operation. Zero would explain more to her in time—or so Kallen hoped, as she moved in on foot.

Inside the warehouse, the drug traffickers had believed themselves to be safe, as no group would dare to attack them inside the Tokyo Settlement. They were chatting idly amongst themselves as they prepared shipments of Refrain for distribution to the rest of the area when—

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

Bullets tore through the sheet metal door of the warehouse, carving an arc of destruction that weakened the structure and allowed the Black Knights behind it to knock down the flimsy barrier to entry.

"The Black Knights have arrived!" shouted Tamaki, his submachine gun blazing at the drug traffickers.

"Intruders!" the smugglers exclaimed, all of them grabbing weapons and turning to face down the Knights—only to freeze in place at the sight of a glowing red eye.

"No, its…" one of them started to mutter, only to be cut off as his musculature locked up, rendering he and his comrades unable to move, dropping their weapons as the bullets directed by Rider's power tore through their bodies, ending their wretched existences.

"…a demon," one managed to choke out, a moment before bullets blew his face to pieces.

After mere moments, the smugglers in the first part of the warehouse had all been eliminated, with the Black Knights proceeding silently through the cavernous building, sweeping the rows of shelves for any survivors. Seeing none, they stepped through an open portal into a darkened part of the warehouse…only to come face to face with victims of refrain.

"That's right, I'm getting married next month!" one of the junkies cried out in joy.

"I've been promoted! I'm going to the Paris office!" voiced another of those in the dark, lost in memories of the past.

"Leave it to us!" a third spoke confidently, thumping his chest. "Japan is on the vanguard of technology!"

Seeing this, one of the reasons they fought, the Black Knights halted in their tracks.

"This is…" Kallen began, eyes wide as she took in the spectacle before her.

"Refrain," Avenger completed her statement, voice cold and biting. "When one suffers too much, eventually the little things break you."

"That's right," answered Kallen, putting aside her disagreement with the other Servant to face the present. "Which is why I'm here, to keep people from—"

And then Rider heard a voice that made her blood run cold in her veins and her eyes grow wide.

"Careful, it's dangerous to run like that," Kallen's mother spoke gently, apparently seeing the girl in her youth as she tottered through the warehouse, unseeing.

"Motherǃ?" Kallen cried out, rushing to her mother's side, just barely managing to catch her as she lost her balance.

"Really, Naoto," her mother continued, her tone gently chiding. "Please, I need you to keep an eye on your little sister."

But Kallen could only weep at the sight of her mother broken in this manner.

"My God, how weak a woman are you, Mother?" she murmured in her grief. "First you give in to Britannia, then to a man, and now this...my brother is gone forever. Let him go!"

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

Sensing danger, Kallen looked up as a police Knightmare spat bullets at the Black Knights, just barely managing to activate her Geass in time.

'_You…you corrupted filth…you…DIE!'_

Like a small twister, a metallic double helix of metal shot up into the air, snaking about as it captured all the stray bullets—and then lanced like a great serpent through the Knightmare, killing the corrupted policeman inside instantly.

In the aftermath, as Avenger glared at Tamaki for overlooking the _minor_ detail of an enemy Knightmare, and the Chief Pizza Supplier claimed it wasn't his fault before wisely shutting up, there was silence. Silence, that was, save for the voice of the refrain victims.

"Kallen... Naoto..." Kallen's mother spoke tenderly, reaching out for a figure out of memory. "I'm here for you."

Kallen froze as she held onto her mother, her blood running cold at the thought that perhaps…perhaps she might have made a dire mistake.

"I'm here for you, Kallen," her mother said with a smile. "I'm here, as I always have been."

"Then that's... that's why you stayed in his house?" Rider whispered in horror, realizing how poorly she had treated her mother if that were the case. "You stayed there for me? You fool!"

_Drip! Drip! Drip!_

At last, she was unable to hold back her grief, as rivulets of tears ran down her cheeks, and the proud redhead wept openly for the first time in years.

'_Or maybe..._' she thought between choked out sobs. '_I'm the fool.'_

To the backdrop of weeping came yet more words,

"I'm so happy for you... You can finally become a Britannian now, Kallen," whispered her mother at last. "Nobody will ever be able to hurt you now, darling. And you're free to travel and use the phone anytime you want."

'_So, that is the truth of Kallen's mother, a truth Rider long denied,'_ Lelouch thought to himself. _'We bind our hearts to things that once seemed strong, yet in the end are ephemeral as the wind. At least her mother lives on…'_

Watching from above, Zero murmured quietly, shaking her head as she remembered her own past.

"False tears bring pain to those around you," C.C. said sadly. "A false smile brings pain to one's self."

That was why she wore a mask, so that she would not have to show either to those around her.

* * *

**Britannian Hospital, Tokyo Settlement**

The next day, Kallen went to visit her mother in the hospital, with Avenger besides her for moral support. In the end, Lelouch had had more insight into her situation than Kallen would have believed, and so the two just sat together in silence as they listened to the nurse describe her condition. For now, her mother was unable to talk much as an after-effect of Refrain, and though she would recover, it would take time.

"Mother, your sentence..." she began, then broke off in tears, unable to continue.

Avenger gave her hand a supportive squeeze, something she was privately grateful for, and with a deep shuddering breath, Kallen was finally able to continue.

"Mother…you got 20 years," the redhead managed at last. "But you wait! I'm working to change things when you get out, I swear to you! I'll make a world where you and I can live a normal life again. So please, Mother..."

And then Kallen's mother shifted her hand to Kallen's, and the redhead took it, weeping softly.

"Hang in there..." her mother whispered. "Hang in there, Kallen... My little girl..."

"Don't you worry. I will," Kallen declared, controlling her sobs after several long moments. "I promise you."

On the vase beside the bed was a single iris that someone had left earlier, a bloom that in the language of flowers meant simply _hope._

_

* * *

_

**Black Knight Headquarters**

In the Knightmare Hanger of the Black Knights' base, C.C. looked about at the shipment that had arrived from Kyoto, and smiled, pleased.

_'The two experimental Knightmare Frames have arrived, along with the Burai units promised. Excellent.'_

**_

* * *

_****A/N: **Identities revealed, two new Knightmares (any guesses which ones?), and more comrades. Onward we go towards Narita. Reviews appreciated!


	17. PuzzlePiece Mosaic

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

Sitting in his office, Governor General Lloyd Asplund was slumped in his chair, bemoaning the responsibilities of his position as apparent head of government in Area 11. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances in which he had acquired his new rank, the rest of those in power had not been quite cooperative, especially after Princess Cornelia's arrival in the Area.

'_Well done. They've effectively trapped me in a silk-lined prison, pulling me away from the Special Corps,'_ the man thought to himself, picking over a caramel bread pudding. When he had been but a scientist, the royal family had listened to his requests, after a fashion, and he could usually count on support from Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia, if no one else. But now that he was supposedly the administrator of an entire Area…not so much. _'The bureaucrats are turning to Cornelia in an attempt to undermine me, and then there's Princess Cornelia's stubborn refusal to use the Lancelot except as a last resort. The more power I gain, the more I am stymied.'_

At this, he sighed, his appetite vanishing completely as he set down his spoon, too out of sorts even to attempt to eat his favorite food.

"At this rate, we'll never get enough data," the Earl of Pudding groused, looking over to the pile of paperwork on his desk, a stack seemingly cursed never to shrink in size, despite his (well, the sub-viceroy's, efforts). He supposed that if he were to be in the office, he might as well get some work done—then just possibly, the scientist might have time to visit the Camelot research facility and see how the work on his Knightmare Frames were progressing. "Hm, the grand opening of the Clovis Memorial Museum, renovations to Clovisland, a redeployment of military forces to Narita, a…"

As his thoughts caught up with his mouth, Lloyd's eyes darted back to the last sheets of paper he had looked at, containing copies of orders for troop movements.

'_Hoho, what's this?' _the Earl of Pudding thought to himself, suddenly intrigued (not to mention grateful for the first time that paperwork was required to be filed in triplicate). _'Princess Cornelia is redeploying forces to Narita? Isn't that where the Code-R laboratory is?'_

Thanks to his new level of access and his expertise with computer systems, the eccentric genius had managed to find out more of the details on Code-R, or "Project C.C." as it was sometimes referred to, mentioning things like "Geass", "immortality", and "enhanced regeneration"…as well as something called a Knight Giga Fortress…all very interesting things that piqued the scientist's interest.

'_But the military would just destroy it, or take the research back to the homeland,' _Governor General Asplund mused, irked that gaining access to the actual fruit of the research was just out of reach. _'So, that leaves…'_

Had Lloyd Asplund been a typical nobleman, fiercely loyal to the Empire, he would never have considered the action he was about to take. However…

'_As long as we acquire the data, it's all worth it,_' the Earl of Pudding reflected, one of his giddy smiles crossing his face—but this time tinged with something almost sinister. _'Data for Code-R _and_ the Lancelot...which we need to fine tune the Sutherland Airs and the Vincent.'_

Since Princess Cornelia did not like to rely on Numbers (meaning in this case, the Lancelot's pilot) for victory, using them only when she had no other choice (for instance, when she was up against an opponent that outclassed her forces), Lloyd Asplund would simply have to force her hand.

'_The Black Knights have certainly proven to be interesting foes,'_ Lloyd noted, remembering how efficiently the renegades had dealt with their incidents. _'And I want to find out more about how they were able to disable to Lancelot in its first battle…'_

Earl Asplund's expression darkened as he remembered that Zero's forces had managed to damage the Lancelot in both of its deployments, though he supposed the second time, when it was due to the operator charging into falling debris, had been an accident.

'_Unless Zero used her ability to manipulate moving objects…'_ the scientist thought darkly, though it didn't stop him from being more intrigued than ever. '_Still, the Lancelot is one of the few units that have survived a Zero encounter…so if the Black Knights intervene again, it will definitely see combat. And this will be a good opportunity to test the Float System…'_

Now that was data he would enjoy poring over—the stability and maneuverability of the first flying Knightmare. And he would do what he had to, not particularly caring if Cornelia died in the process, or if the rest of the Britannian army was shattered, as long as he got what he wanted. And the best part was…no one would ever be able to trace it back to him.

His appetite restored, the Governor General of Area 11 proceeded to devour his pudding with relish, following up that dessert with a far more satisfactory other.

'_Time for another tip off, I suppose.'_

* * *

**Tokyo Settlement**

Lelouch vi Britannia, sub-commander of the Black Knights, Champion in the Eden Vital War, exiled eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, had never thought he would end up cross-dressing of his own free will, especially not after the "Princess Lulu" incident where the fashion club had entered "her" into the Miss Internet Area 11 competition. Of course, as Avenger had long since learned, free-will tended to out of the window when the raven-haired prince spent any significant amount of time around the energetic Milly Ashford, all the more so when she was restless.

'_Such as now…'_

Since the encircling media presence had led to Student Council President Milly Ashford being unable to leave school grounds for most of a week, she had gone a little stir-crazy, and so had dragooned Avenger (master strategist that he was) into assisting her in a scheme to escape, reasoning that if he could outwit the Britannian Army in battle, he could certainly outmaneuver simple journalists. Though he had put up a token show of resistance, the Servant had caved to the blonde's ample charm, knowing that it _was_ partially his fault she was hounded by the media.

'_I suppose I should be flattered,'_ the Servant mused, an easy smile worn on his lips. _'The Britannian media is curious enough about Zero and me that they want to know every scrap of detail about the hoteljacking incident.'_

Other students had been curious as well, as pictures of Zero, Avenger, and the rescued students were plastered all over the bulletin boards of the school, with many curious as to what meeting one of the leaders of the Black Knights had been like.

'_An intimidating prospect for any Britannian,'_ Lelouch reflected, though he was inwardly amused by how many fangirls his 'Avenger' persona seemed to have attracted. _'I suppose it is easier to like for them to like Avenger than Zero, seeing as Rider's power, which Zero borrows, is far more intimidating than mine.'_

Still, Lelouch had agreed to help, putting together a scheme that would let them slip away undetected from Ashford Academy, a simple task for someone who was used to escaping dire situations. If enemy forces were surrounding one's position on the ground, and one's available forces were not enough to penetrate their defensive lines (which, unless Lelouch mobilized a legion of fangirls—which he _did not_ want to—would be the case), the best option was to avoid them completely.

Here, the wily heir to the Ashford family had proved rather helpful, giving him access to the underground maintenance tunnels of the Academy, providing the two with a secure passage in and out of school grounds (which the prince knew would come in handy later on), as well as providing him with a…disguise.

At least, that was how the Servant thought of his current outfit to preserve what shreds of dignity he had left. Far better to refer to it as a disguise than to admit that he had been cajoled into crossdressing once more, this time in a purple and white floor length formal gown, with the addition of black hair extensions to give him hair spilling to the small of his back, and artful application of makeup to make him look even more feminine than usual.

'_If C.C. or any of the Black Knights see me like this, I'll never live this down. This is the Princess Lulu Incident all over again,'_ Avenger groused inwardly, while waiting by the fountain in the park outside of Ashford for his 'date' to arrive. _'And if Milly took the trouble to dress me up to this extent, it makes me wonder what her disguise is.'_

The prince was even carrying a handbag, of all things, with all the things he might need for the day within it—including a new secure mobile phone for Milly, his wallet, and C.C.'s straitjacket (just in case he needed to take Milly to the Black Knights base—most likely there wouldn't be too many questions asked if she were in a prisoner outfit, though the blonde would most likely tease him about trying to bring out her masochistic side again).

_Clip! Clip! Clip!_

Footsteps approached in the distance, with 'Luluko' turning and smiling as he caught sight of a raven-haired girl clad in a loose flowing blue dress with a white underskirt, a complement to his own outfit. It proved, on closer inspection, to be none other than the disguised Student Council President, who halted in front of Avenger.

"Well, you certainly clean up nicely," Milly noted with a smirk, eyes roaming hungrily over 'Luluko's form. "Certainly more…what is the word…moe than your other outfit, isn't it?"

Lelouch's jaw twitched once as the comparison between this outfit and his Avenger uniform came involuntarily to his mind. Certainly, this was…cuter, though no less attention grabbing (leading to a thought about one of the things he was actually thankful for under Britannian rule – no 'model scouts' roaming the streets, harassing young ladies) for it, since he apparently made an attractive girl.

"One could say the same about you," the prince(ss) returned almost shyly, though with a trace of venom in his voice. "You certainly look less like the lecherous old man you act like most of the time."

That declaration was rewarded by a soft laugh and a soft flick to his forehead.

"Ah, Lulu, your sharp-tongued ways never change, do they?" the Ashford heir sighed, rolling her eyes and taking his arm. "Anyway, I can restrain myself every once in a while, if I really want to. Unlike you, always going gambling when you leave campus—or so Shirley thinks anyway."

"Oh? I haven't exactly been gambling recently," Lelouch rejoined, turning to the blonde with a smirk, "As you know quite well, Lady Ashford."

"Oh, you're still gambling, Lulu, just playing with higher stakes and different opponents," Milly shot back, as they headed towards the shopping district. "You always did enjoy the thrill of winning too much for your own good."

"Are you sure you're one to comment on that?" Avenger asked, in an almost sly fashion. "After all, who is the one who likes putting together risky and extravagant events and then making people attend them, manipulating them with promises and rewards?"

At that, the blonde chuckled, squeezing Lelouch's arm softly.

"Touché, you have me there, I suppose," she conceded, eying the lad. "Still, I take it everyone thinks you're going gambling again today?"

"When one already has a believable alibi, why bother changing it," the black prince replied, showing his innately lazy nature. "Besides, if the fangirls knew I was out on a 'date'…"

"…oh, they'd kill you…that or force you to date every single one of them," Milly quipped with utter seriousness, making the prince(ss) wince at the thought. "Shirley at least. And then there are all the others who have their hearts set on you, even if they've never really met you."

Ah, yes, the legions of fangirls, yet another complication that Lelouch vi Britannia didn't really need in his life. While they were ostensibly on his side, and during an event it was possible compel them to do almost anything with the promise of more attention afterwards, they were a fanatical, unpredictable sort that frankly, scared him to no end.

'_They're more obsessed with me than I am about destroying Britannia…'_

Though whether that spoke ill of his dedication to his goal or ill of their mental states remained to be seen.

"Just as Rivalz would be disappointed to find that you've disappeared?" the prince asked pointedly. Milly certainly had her share of admirers too, with both having attracted attention from other members of the Student Council. "Or the Ashford family, upon finding out that they can't arrange another match for you?"

Another soft laugh, as they looked one another, ocean blue meeting royal purple.

"Funny you should mention that," the blonde confessed. "They actually had been thinking about engaging me to Earl Asplund—"

Lelouch's eyebrows shot heavenwards in surprise, then lowered as she finished.

"—but nixed the idea after he became Governor General," Milly finished, savoring the stunned look on her childhood friend's face. "Instead, some of the other noble families are turning to the Ashfords for support, trying to find some refuge from the 'Earl of Pudding's crazy ideas."

"Sounds like it would have been a good match," he said lightly, resulting in the prince having to weather a full power glare of displeasure from the disguised blonde. "Kidding, of course."

"I thought so, Princess Lulu," the Student Council President quipped with a hint of malice. "Watch it or I'll make sure those rumors about you and Kallen spread out of control."

"You wouldn't dare!" the prince voiced in mock affront, with the two looking at one another and breaking out in soft laughter.

"Still…" Milly murmured, pursing her lips in a sad smile.

"Yes?" Lelouch asked, "What is it?"

"A lot of people would be disappointed if they knew about us," she finished, to which "Luluko" merely smiled wickedly, leaning towards her so that his hot breath caressed her ear. "About our secrets…"

"Of course, but does that make you want to do this less," he exhaled gently, sending a stream of cool air brushing sensually against her earlobe, "or… more?"

In response, Milly turned towards the prince, bringing her mouth to his, their lips meeting in a soft, not-quite-chaste kiss that caught the attention of onlookers, given that they both appeared to be reasonably attractive young women.

"What do you think?" she whispered sensually, words that sent a pleasant shiver down Lelouch's spine.

"Oh, I think we both know how…enjoyable secrets are," Avenger replied in that sultrily mysterious way of his that had attracted so many fangirls.

"All the more so because one can't tell anyone right?"

"But of course…they wouldn't be secrets otherwise," the Servant answered, leading his date onwards. "So where do you want to go today, milady?"

The time that followed was more or less a cross between an outing between schoolgirl friends and a date, involving a long walk around the settlement, a bit of shopping, drinks at a café, a bit of cake, eating a crepe or two…generally hanging out and enjoying one another's company, the presence of the two apparent attractive girls gaining much attention.

Later in the day though, they came across a spectacle that had Avenger mentally gritting his teeth, even as the pleasant mask remained: five Britannians beating up an Eleven hot-dog vendor.

From besides him, Milly could feel Lelouch tensing up, as part of the darkness inside of him stirred, the part of him that she supposed made him a Black Knight. For Lelouch vi Britannia had always held great anger inside of him, anger born of the pain of losing mother, family, homeland, hope, anger great enough to destroy his enemies if only looks could kill.

'_Which…his can,'_ the Student Council President recalled with a hint of unease, remembering Avenger's mysterious power.

"Lulu," she said in warning, holding onto his arm to make sure he wouldn't act on any stupid ideas. Not that the prince was anything close to stupid, but still…

It really was hard to bear seeing another human being beaten up so easily, with no one caring.

"I know, there's five of them," Avenger muttered under his breath, "and that physically I wouldn't stand a chance. Besides, take a look. If I intervened and helped the Eleven win, he wouldn't be able to sell a thing tomorrow. It was his choice to become a Britannian slave—the price one pays for working in the settlement."

"Well…" Milly began to reply, a little unsettled but the group of thugs had finished their work and noticed them, seeing in the two apparent noblewomen a better target for their attention.

"You got a problem over there, ladies?" one of the brutes called out.

"Not feeling sorry for this Eleven, are ya?" another chimed in, flexing an arm in demonstration of his male virility. "Why bother, when you can have a real man show you around."

"Nah, they feel the same way we do, don't you ladies?" a third added, trying to be as smooth as possible. "Want us to show you a good time?"

'_I suppose a little future experimentation would work—controlled retribution, the ability to set a trigger for future punishment. Emotional pain, humiliation…'_

A flash of red glinted in Avenger's eye.

"No, actually," 'Luluko' replied, his gaze transfixing all of them. "Don't you feel humiliated and ashamed that you resort beating up Elevens? That it hurts you each time you throw a punch? Don't you all just want to die, knowing in your heart of hearts that you are pathetic human beings who shouldn't have been born in the first place?"

"…yes, my apologies, milady," they mumbled at once, shuffling away with their heads bowed, their bodies sagging in shame.

"Seems they learned their lesson, eh?" Lelouch asked his 'date.' "I don't think they'll do it again."

"You…"

"As you pointed out, I am a rather squishy wizard," Avenger answered drily. "What else was I to do?"

Tactfully, Milly didn't respond, merely walking over to the hot-dog vendor.

"Are you all right?" she asked the fallen man.

Said man just looked up, eyes widening as he noted the fancy clothing of the two.

"Huh? Two Britannian nobles?" he exclaimed in surprise. "What can I get for you? I have ice cream, if you like."

The reaction merely proved Lelouch's point, Milly supposed...

Sometime later, the two found themselves wandering aimlessly through the settlement, though unconsciously, their feet were taking them in the direction of Shinjuku.

"You know, Shirley always says how intelligent you are, but complains about how you barely ever apply yourself," Milly offered wryly, smiling at how that was just the surface persona. "And yet…"

"I do nothing because Lelouch Lamperouge cannot enter the stage, for reasons you know very well," the outcast prince related, sighing. "Avenger, on the other hand…"

"…may overturn everything," Milly finished, closing her eyes for a moment as she steeled herself to ask him a question. "Hey, could you do something for me, Lulu?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Please escort me to Shinjuku," the disguised blonde said, causing the Servant to stiffen in place. "I want to know more about the world I'm joining."

"Is that right?" the Black Knight murmured considering, and with a sigh, pointed his date in the direction of Shinjuku, a place that had personal significance to him as the place the demon had awakened.

'_Where I met the immortal witch who gave me my power…becoming the embodiment of Vengeance and Destruction.'_

Quietly, the two walked through the ruins, looking quietly at the many shrines and memorials left to those who had died there, feeling mingled emotions. For Milly, it was a sobering image to take in, as one often heard about the eradication of ghettos and the purging of dissidents, but it hadn't seemed real until she laid eyes on this grim specter. She knew intellectually what Britannia was capable of, having heard the stories of Lelouch and Nunally's escape from the Kururugi Shrine during the war, walking through fields of countless dead…but this was something else entirely.

Avenger, on the other hand, remembered this place with mingled feelings. Rage, hope, satisfaction, and yet, inexplicably grief. In a way, he could almost feel the deaths that had transpired here, feel the wrongs that had been committed—the passive part of his Geass, that allowed him to sense 'evil', one might say.

"This is Shinjuku," Avenger whispered sharply, eyes clouded with a sense of wrath. "The place where it all began."

"Where you awakened, eh?" Milly said appraisingly. "Figures that things would start changing the moment you got involved."

"What can I say? I like winning."

_Ri-ri-ri-ri!_

The phone in Lelouch's handbag rang, and he extracted the device to see with amusement the name of the caller. Sighing, he answered it, frowning for a moment as the other gave him orders.

'_I suppose it was good I came prepared…'_

"Well, Lady Ashford," 'Luluko' said graciously, offering her his arm. "It appears that Zero summons us. Would you like to meet the Knights?"

* * *

**Clovis Memorial Museum, Tokyo Settlement**

Museums not yet open to the public made good places to hide from the media, reflected Euphemia li Britannia, who walking through the place accompanied by her friend Kallen, having been assigned to explore the facility before its public unveiling and dedication by the Governor-General. In private she would admit that Lloyd Asplund wasn't the nicest man in the world, nor the most tactful (good lord, no), but he was apparently gracious enough to understand that she didn't enjoy being cooped up inside the Government Bureau.

'_And it's rare that I get a chance to spend a day looking at Clovis' paintings, without having to do the Governor-General's work for him.'_

Since she was an eminently kind person, Euphemia tended to think of this as advanced on the job training, as she was practically Viceroy in everything but name—except for control of the military, which Cornelia had claimed, and final authority on budgeting and research, which was Lloyd's main area of expertise. Still, her office did allow for some more pleasant duties than paperwork, such as private viewings of exhibitions, to which she could bring a guest or two.

Naturally, the pink-haired princess had invited Baroness Kallen Stadtfeld to accompany her for the day, as the redhead was rather a refreshing change from the usual cronies. And of course, her bodyguards waited out of earshot for politeness' sake, since Euphemia was fairly certain that her friend would not try to harm her unduly.

"I'm glad you're ok after the events of the weekend," Kallen murmured demurely, looking at Euphemia with a shy smile. "I was worried after I saw your face on the news."

Her statement was completely true, but of course, omitted the fact that Rider had been there when the hostages were rescued.

"You were worried about me?" Euphemia asked quietly, taking one of Kallen's hands and giving it a quick squeeze before letting go. "Thank you for caring."

"Of course," the redhead said gently, a faint smile crossing her lips. "So, I hear you had a chance to meet the leaders of the Black Knights…what did you think of them?"

Euphemia shook her head, and sighed deeply, troubled by the question.

"I just don't know," Euphemia confessed, her expression turning serious as she mused over their words. "Zero I can feel means well, even if she is a little distant. But Avenger…it's hard to say."

"Oh?"

"In some ways he is darker and more frightening than Zero," the Sub-Viceroy related, lips tight as she recalled the man of shadows. "He was kind to one of the hostages, but also…utterly merciless to the JLF. And he said…he said, I hadn't changed, almost as if he and I had met before."

Kallen raised an eyebrow at this, curious as to how the two could possibly know one another.

"Did you recognize anything about him?" the redhead inquired, wanting to know more about any possible connections between the two.

"No…nothing at all," the pink-haired princess answered, her lips quirking into a soft smile as she regarded the figure of Kallen. "That's part of why I'm confused…besides the impossibility of it."

She looked down at her feet, gears and cogs in her mind shifting and turning to try and unravel the mystery of Avenger, but to no avail.

"You said that Zero might have an answer for the cycle of violence?" Euphemia said after several long moments.

"Did she say something to you?" Kallen wondered out loud, truthfully more curious to Euphemia's response to Zero than the words themselves, since she already knew those.

"She said that it begins with hope, and the courage to work for a better tomorrow," the Sub-Viceroy spoke softly. "I've been thinking about that, and I wanted to hear what you thought about what I've come up with."

"Alright, but why me?" Kallen questioned, shooting a glance at her companion. "After all, you have political advisors, right?"

"That's just it…I want a different point of view," the Third Princess said, lips quirking into something between a smile and a grimace. "Since so many are fighting for the sake of Japan, I was thinking about making a special administrative zone in Area 11."

"And what would this mean?" the Black Knight said neutrally, keeping her voice even.

"Within this specially administrated zone, Elevens would be permitted to call themselves Japanese," Euphemia explained, causing Kallen's eyes to widen very slightly. "Restrictions against Elevens and special rights for Britannians would no longer exist within this zone—a place where Elevens and Britannians could live side by side as equals. Do you think that would work?"

Kallen's head was spinning at the thought of this—a concession from the Britannians for the Japanese to call themselves such again, equality? This was unheard of, but still…

The Black Knight shook her head.

"No…" the redhead said at last. "That's nothing but an empty dream, Euphie. A zone like that would be no better than the Honorary Britannian system, since there would always be too little room for those who wanted to live there, always fewer seats for happiness than those wishing to fill them. And if you really wanted to make a difference, why just a small zone?"

Euphie sighed, nodding tiredly.

"You're right, Kallen," the princess conceded. "I know the idea has some problems, but still…"

"…and what about the rest of the Numbers?" sharply asked Baroness Kallen Stadtfeld, which caused the Sub-Viceroy to close her mouth, frowning.

"I guess you have a point, Kallen," Euphie voiced dejectedly. "Everyone tells me that I'm too naïve, but—"

Kallen, seeing that her friend was somewhat upset, reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"At least you're trying to make a difference, which is more than most others are doing," the redhead said warmly, giving her friend a genuine smile. "You're a really kind person, you know that?"

"I'm not as kind as you think…"

"Isn't that my line?" Kallen joked, as both of them laughed softly.

They walked along a gallery filled with Clovis' artwork, with both girls' eyes drawn by a large painting of the royal children at play in the gardens of the Aries Imperial Villa.

"A scene from your childhood?" Kallen inquired, her eyes drawn to the painted figure of a dark haired boy with purple eyes, dressed white garments with a blood red cloak.

'_That boy…he looks familiar…almost like...'_

"Yes, it was a happier, gentler time," Euphemia breathed, for a moment recalling the days spent in the gardens of Aries, playing with Cornelia, Lelouch, and Nunnally. "Believe it or not, I used to fight with one of my sisters about who would get to marry my half-brother. It was a time before we were faced with the harshness of Britannia, but it didn't last…"

"Nothing ever does…" Kallen sympathized, knowing all too well how much things could change in an instant. "What happened, if you don't mind my asking?"

"It ended when Emperess Marianne was murdered. In the incident, her daughter was crippled, and when her brother attempted to demand an investigation, he was disinherited, with both exiled to Japan as political hostages," the pink-haired princess said solemnly, grief overtaking her features as she remembered what happened afterwards. "Then came the invasion of Japan, and the hostages were killed."

"You must miss them very much," Kallen murmured softly, remembering how she too had lost a brother.

"Yes…it devastated us all when we learned that Lelouch and Nunnally had died," Euphemia murmured, shaking her head. "Even now, I find myself wishing that they were still alive, that I could see them one last time…"

Kallen's eyes flew wide open as her mind picked up the names Euphemia had spoken.

'_Wait…Lelouch and Nunnally?ǃ No way…it…it can't be…'_

* * *

**Black Knights Headquarters**

Within her personal quarters in the mobile base of the Black Knights, the immortal witch C.C. was reviewing the dossiers of prospective applicants, as well as information that had been leaked to the Knights. Normally, this dealt with corrupt nobles involved in crime, the distribution of Refrain, or some other small issue, but today…

'_So Cornelia is deploying her forces to Narita?' _the Geass Witch mused, silently thanking her mysterious benefactor. '_The site of the Code-R Laboratory as well as the headquarters of the Japanese Liberation Front? It seems as though my hunch was correct, and that we will have to act quickly to prevent the Code-R technology from being seized by the Britannian military.'_

The prospect of advanced technology falling into, or back into, the Empire's hands did not sit well with Zero, as it would certainly make the war more difficult to win.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Enter," the Geass Witch called out, as the door slid open, revealing the forms of an unmasked Avenger (back in his Black Knights uniform) and a straitjackeded—"Marianne?"

The name slipped involuntarily from her mouth as Zero regarded the curious girl before her. Though she could tell, upon closer inspection, that the black hair was a wig, the new recruit still looked almost like a young Marianne Lamperouge.

"No…" Zero said after a moment, "you must be the Ashford child, the one named Milly."

The heir to the Ashford family nodded.

"And you are the mysterious Zero, Avenger's accomplice," Milly spoke, studying the masked figure in turn. "You knew Lady Marianne?"

A soft chuckle from behind the mask.

"Better to say that Avenger is my accomplice, but close enough," the Geass Witch corrected, her voice seemingly amused. "And yes, Lady Marianne was a dear friend of mine, and I am quite aware of how much support she received from the Ashford family."

Zero then turned her attention to Avenger, her mirrored mask staring into him.

"As the Ashfords have sheltered her children, I see," C.C. commented drily. "As you can see, Avenger holds no secrets from me, Milly Ashford. Though I admit I withhold a few from him."

Milly raised a slender eyebrow, but said nothing, looking from one to the other.

"You mentioned a need for someone to handle public relations and press releases?" Avenger spoke into the silence.

"I take it that you have a candidate in mind," Zero replied knowingly, glancing at the girl next to him.

"You could say that," the Servant returned, rolling his eyes. "Highly recommended in fact."

"Hmm," C.C. replied, pacing about the two, and then giving a short nod. "I've heard about your events and how well you run Ashford Academy. I daresay you are up to the job."

_Knock! Knock!_

Before Zero could say anything this time, the door slid open and in stormed a rather distraught Kallen Kozuki, her pouch-knife clutched firmly in her hand as she looked about and spotted Avenger.

"You…" the redhead whispered, her voice low and dangerous. If a look from her could kill, Avenger would probably be a bloody splatter on the floor by now.

"What about me, Kallen?" Lelouch replied, taking care to move away from anything that he might be slammed into, his Geass ready to activate, if need be.

"There's something you need to tell us, isn't there?" Kallen asked, looking from Avenger to Zero to the stranger then back to Avenger.

"And what might Avenger need to tell you, Rider?" Zero inquired solicitously, looking on as events unfolded. "Somehow, I don't think your knife makes a very convincing threat after what happened the first time."

"His real name," Rider spoke slowly, advancing towards the Servant of blood and fire. "The name that he was born with…the name that is not a lie."

"I thought I already said it was irrelevant now," Lelouch spoke, dismissing the topic brusquely. "Since that life and that name are long dead to me. So it has been for years, after my mother was murdered by our enemy, and my sister and I exiled."

"Yes, your sister Nunnally," Rider confirmed, nodding, though the point of the knife did not waver. "You mentioned her before, but you never mentioned your mother's name, have you, Avenger?"

"My mother's name was Marianne," Avenger replied, speaking a more or less truth. "Marianne Lamperouge."

Kallen did not look convinced.

"You also said that your name of Lamperouge was as much of a lie as 'Stadtfeld', which means that your father had a different name, didn't he?" the redhead growled, pushing the hapless Avenger up against a wall. "A name that probably had…_'Britannia'_ in it, didn't it, Lelouch?"

"A name that I reject, for I am Britannia's mortal enemy," Avenger hissed, glaring at his fellow Servant. "As Britannia rejected me, casting away my sister Nunnally and I, so I reject the name of Lelouch vi Britannia!"

A crimson sigil burned in the air, and with the sound of something like a thunderclap, both Servants found themselves compelled to step away from one another.

"That's enough from both of you," Zero intoned, her voice a harsh contralto that echoed in the room. "Need I remind you that we all share a common enemy – Britannia. You yourself are of the nobility, Kallen Stadtfeld, and yet you choose the path of justice…can your fellow Champion not do the same?"

For a few moments, the air was tense, fraught with anxiety, and then Kallen put away her knife.

"…that would certainly explain some of his quirks, wouldn't it?" she asked rhetorically. "As well as his ability to act…"

"Indeed," Zero spoke with good humor. "I'm glad that neither of you ended up stabbing each other, especially in the presence of a mutual friend—that would have been…awkward."

"A...friend?" Kallen questioned, looking over to the recruit, who now doffed the black wig to reveal. "Madame Prez?ǃ"

"Hello Kallen," the blonde smiled, her suspicions confirmed. "Thank you for helping to rescue me from the terrorists during the hoteljacking incident. According to Zero, I appear to have the honor of being the new press officer."

"…how did you find out about us?" the redhead asked, confused as to if there had been a security leak, or—what.

"I put the pieces together after figuring out Lelouch was Avenger," Milly answered honestly. "I already knew his secrets, so…after finding out that Avenger knew Princess Euphemia, it wasn't that hard. Speaking of which, how did you find out? Did Euphie tell you about her past while you two were on a _date? _Isn't that something, a Black Knight dating the Sub-Viceroy…and Lelouch's sister too. I don't exactly see you have a problem with her being of the Britannian royal family."

Milly being Milly, the heir of the Ashford family never missed a chance to tease one of her friends about their love lives.

"That's because-Madame Prez!" Kallen burst out, as a flush crept across her features, overreacting in the way that only Shirley usually did. "Wh-what are you saying? Euphie and I are just friends. Besides, Lelouch should have been up front about this little aspect of his past."

"Considering what you did to me in our first encounter, I didn't think it safe at the time," the exiled prince replied.

"He does have a point, you know," Zero commented, eying Rider gingerly.

"We all have some secrets we'd rather not share," Milly added, always needing the last word. "I wonder how many more you hold."

Kallen, wisely, did not reply.

"Well, now that you all know one another," Zero spoke when the rest were done. "A delivery has come in that I want you all to see…the rest of the Knights are already in the Warehouse."

"Not pizza again, is it?" groused Avenger. "If you've emptied out the local Pizza Hut again..."

"Oh, I think you'll find this more interesting than pizza."

* * *

**Warehouse, Black Knights Storage Facility**

The atmosphere in the warehouse was already abuzz with excitement, as the gathered members of the Black Knights caught sight of "delivery" from Kyoto. Beyond the usual boxes of ammunition, spare parts, and whatnot, there were Knightmares lined up shoulder to shoulder, filling the available space. These were Burais, a Japanese modification of the Glasgow for higher performance, Knightmares that Kyoto only sent to groups that it favored.

"Wow. This is amazing," one of the members commented, eyes wide as he looked at all the Knightmares. "I've never seen these before."

"Man, the Black Knights have got some serious muscle," another whispered in awe. For all the years he had served with the resistance, he had never been part of a group that actually possessed Knightmares before. With these…could it be possible they could win?

Meanwhile, Kallen, Avenger, and Milly were looking up at the two experimental Knightmare Frames, along with the members of Kallen's original resistance group.

"Those guys from Kyoto, they believe in us," Yoshida spoke reverently. "They sent us this.."

"A completely new Knightmare made in Japan," breathed Sugiyama. "The Guren MK-II."

Said Knightmare was a dangerous, slender looking machine painted the color of fire, with a silver hand extending from it as one might expect of a demon.

"The big shots in Kyoto are recognizing us," Tamaki said smugly. "We've got their approval."

But they were puzzled by the second frame which stood next to it, one which resembled a warrior of old, possessing blue armor with red and gold parts, white armor plates on its shoulder and waist, a green sphere in the center of its chest, and an intricately designed head unit with a red spike protruding from the top.

"Whoa… what is this?" Milly asked, speaking the question on the minds of those gathered, as they had never seen a machine like this before. The Ashford Foundation had once made Knightmares, true, but…nothing like this.

Before anyone could venture a guess though, Tamaki and some of the others were called away, leaving only Avenger, Rider, Milly—and Zero.

"Hm," the masked commander of the Black Knights observed. "First Tamaki and now Inoue and the rest are cheering this like a party, even if Kyoto backs multiple resistance groups."

"Doesn't that mean we finally made it in?" Kallen questioned, tilting her head. "That they know we're worthy?"

"Not exactly," Avenger interjected, looking around. "I would say that this is a test they're putting to us…"

"So what if it is?" Kallen asked. "Even so, this is still incredible."

"Heh, you're quite the optimist," Zero commented, tossing to Kallen a feather-shaped activation key.

"What's this?"

"The Guren MK-II is yours to pilot, Kallen," the immortal said wryly. "

"Mine? But what about you and Avenger?" the redhead asked, narrowing her eyes. "Shouldn't you, as the commanders, take the more powerful frames?"

"The Shen Hu, the experimental purple prototype here, is too stressful for most normals to pilot, especially at full power, so that will be my frame," Zero stated flatly, looking forward to being able to use a powerful Knightmare capable of flight. "As for the Guren, keep in mind that you are an ace pilot, and have the capacity to be one of the best—you wouldn't have been chosen as Rider otherwise. Only you can use it to its full capacity."

"Obviously enough, I'll take a Burai," Avenger broke in, with a hmph. "It will draw less attention than one of these units, since I am a little above average, at best. I wouldn't have the ability to make full use of either of those two units anyway."

"Good, I'm glad that's settled," Zero acknowledged. "Now, I hope none of you have anything planned this weekend, since we're going hiking."

"…hiking?"

"In the Narita mountains."

* * *

**A/N**: Soon the Guren dances, soon the Shen Hu flies. Soon Knightmares are piloted, and soon many more will die. Read and Review, if you please!


	18. Interweaving Fractals

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Gymnasium Pool, Ashford Academy**

Though the Britannian authorities would likely be surprised to learn of it, Zero was not a full time freedom fighter, as she did like to take breaks once in a while, leaving the management of the Black Knights to one of her subordinates. Leading a major anti-Britannian organization was no picnic, after all, and even an immortal witch with incredible regenerative abilities felt the need to destress every once in a while. To deal with this, the Code-bearer usually decided to visit her Servant so as to freely enjoy the luxurious facilities available to the students of Ashford Academy, much to Lelouch's annoyance, though in all honesty, he knew it was a small price to pay for all that she had already done.

Such was the case now, with the green-haired witch floating in the waters of the Olympic size pool under the light of the silver moon, reveling in the feeling of weightlessness and buoyancy. To look at the expression on her face, one would assume her to be peacefully resting, but one would only be half right, for though her form was perfectly still, save for the gentle rise and fall of breathing, her eyes darted hither and fro, as if searching for something, perhaps the land of twilight beyond the distant shore, a secret smile playing across her lips.

"Enjoying yourself, dear witch?" a sardonic voice called from the poolside, as Avenger worked on his laptop, eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he pulled up known geological data on the Narita mountains, as well as the specifications of the Guren Mk-II and its radiant wave surger.

'_The Guren Mk-II, a Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame...'_ the champion mused, impressed by what he saw, and idly noting that red certainly suited Kallen. Still, he had to wonder…why the frame styled the "Crimson Lotus" **Mk-II**? What could have happened to the Mk-I? Exploded perhaps, from an over infusion of raw Sakuradite into the frame? A malfunction of the radiant-wave surger, cooking the pilot alive? Or... _'Probably best not to think about it, though I suppose it is fitting that Rider should be given this advanced Knightmare Frame, the better to match Berserker and the Lancelot.'_

"That's 'master' to you, servant boy," came the cool reply, as the immortal lazed about for the first time in quite a while, drifting on the surface of the water. "And how are our plans for the weekend hike coming along? Come up with a clever way to deal with those ever crafty adventurers?"

"I was thinking of the old trope, 'rocks fall, everyone dies,'" the prince answered wickedly, pulling a phrase from an old roleplaying game. "Even the most powerful knight cannot survive being crushed by a mountain, after all."

"Unless he flies," the witch answered, coyly glancing at her Servant with a devious smirk. "Or can surf down landslides."

"True, if a Knightmare is equipped with—you can surf down landslides?" Avenger asked incredulously, switching topics mid-sentence as Zero's words sank in.

A low throaty chuckle echoed over the sound of soft waves.

"I'm capable of doing almost anything…if I really want to," was the reply, as the Grey Witch drifted over to the edge, then with a slow, sensual movement, pulled herself out of the water, slinking up onto the ground, the sheen of water under moonlight accentuating her figure as she padded towards her Servant.

"I suppose I should expect nothing else from an immortal witch," the outcast prince allowed, chuckling at this as he eyed the Code-bearer. "You must have an eternal lifetime's worth of…experience."

_Flick!_

A sudden movement of pale fingers, as a few droplets of water flew across a small expanse and sprinkled themselves upon the face of the Champion.

"What was that for?" he asked primly, trying to put on an innocent expression.

"Because I felt like it," the Geass Witch replied lazily, walking over to Lelouch and plopping herself down beside him, leaning over onto him to look at the screen, the water on her body soaking into the Servant's shirt. "Why else?"

The two sat in silence for a little bit as Avenger continued to work on a battleplan, and C.C. observed, draping herself over the Servant's back.

"You're making me wet, you know," the exiled prince said at last, as he felt the fabric soaking through.

"That's the whole point, _Lulu_," the immortal teased mercilessly, lips curving in that knowing way of hers. "Besides, it's no fun for me to be the only one who's soaked when we're discussing such affairs."

In response to this, the Servant just bit his tongue and kept quiet, knowing that replying would only make things worse. Noting this, the witch sighed, deciding to return to more serious matters of discussion, like the plan for the weekend outing.

"I see you plan to take field command of the Knights," the green-haired Code-bearer murmured. "Which I suppose suits you, but why leave me out of your intricate plans?"

"Because you're just going to do whatever you want as usual, right?" the Servant shot back, turning to look over his shoulder into the witch's golden eyes. "A pity, as the Shen Hu would be useful on the battlefield, a devastating power that could tear through conventional Knightmare Frames with ease."

C.C. pouted for a moment, moving her hands deftly to turn Avenger's face back towards the screen.

"Of course," the immortal rejoined. "However, I need it for my own purposes…such as dealing with any inconvenient miscalculations you happen to make, or unexpected circumstances."

"Miscalculations? My, whatever are you talking about, C.C.?" the Servant replied sarcastically, remembering all too well the White Knightmare from Shinjuku. Then his expression sharpened as he thought of something. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Always," came the rather arch reply. "That's why I'm the master, and you're the Servant."

"Something more specific would be nice," Avenger commented wryly, doing his best to dig for useful information. "Something beyond your usual less than helpful—"

"Orange," the immortal broke in cryptically, as she reached around her Champion to manipulate the laptop's cursor over a specific point on the map.

"…and that means what, exactly?" Lelouch asked, somewhat puzzled by the choice of word—and more that there was little enough on the map.

"I was held captive there," the green-haired witch spoke bitterly, as she lifted herself up from the deck chair and turned to face her Champion. "In a laboratory founded by Clovis, where I was experimented on day after day, while V.V. ran amuck and the war began."

This was new, the witch talking about her past.

"So this 'Orange' is something from that facility?" Avenger surmised, receiving a small nod from C.C. "Something that you might need the Shen Hu to deal with?"

"Yes, 'Orange' is quite a danger if there is a pilot for it," the witch replied, recalling the massive assault craft she had been carried past on her way into the facility, an immense orange fortress with large spiky Slash Harkens. "I suspect it may even be more dangerous than Berserker's Knightmare, which will certainly appear at Narita, along with Lancer's Gloucester."

Avenger's expression soured at this, as that would mean that he would have to face down another Servant in battle—and likely one with a combat oriented Geass as well, considering the class.

'_And since I will be in a Burai, I will not last long in close combat,' _the Servant mused. _'Especially against either of the other Servants' frames. Unfortunately, in this battle, going into Phantasmagoria will not be an option as it would likely result in my death, so…I will need to remain near Rider, I suppose.'_

"You have a point, but I am also relying on you for air support if needed, as the Shen Hu is the only flight-capable frame we have," Lelouch pointed out, putting his finishing touches on Operation Sturzstrom (his code for the Narita plan). "And considering that the Gefjun Disturber technology used to control its Baryon Cannon makes it invisible to radar, it is our ace in the hole, as it were."

"Agreed, though a second, lesser advantage is your personal Burai, which has been optimized to match a Gloucester in performance," the immortal added, lightly trailing her fingers across her Servant's cheek. "After all, it would be a shame for my sword to break and die, leaving me alone in this War."

"Heh, who do you think you're talking to?" Avenger murmured in reply, putting a hand over the Code-bearer's, holding it fast to his cheek. "A demon can't die, can it, my immortal witch?"

"Just keep thinking that, Avenger, and you might live to see the end of the war," C.C. said, while looking at her Servant with glowing golden eyes. "Maybe…maybe you'll even win and be able to grant my wish."

"Your wish?" Avenger repeated. "And just what might that be?"

"None of your concern, Servant boy."

**

* * *

**

**Camelot Research Facility, Tokyo Settlement**

Though night had fallen over Area 11, the scientists, technicians, and test pilot of Camelot were all still hard at work as they dashed about working on the new Sutherland Airs – as well as a prototype Float System for the Z-01 Lancelot, which Governor General Asplund was hoping would see much use in the upcoming battle. Having finished with his administrative duties for the day, the Earl had decided to return to the research facility, one of the few places he felt he truly belonged, where he walked about, surveying the progress of the staff, taking in the work proceeding around him.

As the pilot of the Lancelot, Suzaku Kururugi was present as well, testing the Knightmare Frame's compatibility with the Float System and running simulations to get himself used to aerial combat—something quite a bit different than maneuvers on the ground, as one needed to take into account all three dimensions of movement, instead of the traditional two.

"Zero is nothing but a murderer," the pilot was muttering to himself, as flashes of the carnage observed in Saitama, Shinjuku, and the Zero intervention passed through his mind. Blood, blood, broken bodies, broken bones, corpses strewn all over... "She and the Black Knights claim to be knights of justice, but its only self-righteous posturing, since they won't try to change things from within the system. In reality, they're just murderers claiming to serve justice so give themselves an excuse to kill, continuing the cycle of hatred—satisfying themselves by defying authority. If they wanted equal rights, they should have just become Honorary Britannians."

For that was what Suzaku Kururugi himself had done after murdering his father to bring peace to Japan years earlier, to ensure that the country would submit to its oppressors: bow his head to the conqueror, believing that any change to a system must be made from within.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi," the reedy voice of Earl Asplund called over the intercom, apparently giddy and gleeful. "I have good news and better news, which do you want first?"

"Hm?" the pilot asked, curious as to what it was. Earlier in the day, he had received orders to come to Camelot for long day of training and data gathering, but had not been informed as to why, simply being put into the flight simulator.

_Thwack!_

Apparently, Lloyd's new position of authority did not deter his former assistant Cecile Croomy from physically disciplining him with a roll of paper to the head, something that would have elicited some gasps of horror from the stuffy suits in the Bureau.

"Lloyd, not everyone thinks your news is as great as you do," she admonished firmly, in an effort to get the man a bit of grounding in reality, though it never really sank in.

The Earl merely rubbed his head lightly, half-smiling at the abuse he missed so much, giving Cecile the chance to speak.

"Congratulations, Suzaku," came the blunette's gentle voice. "You got a perfect rating on the flight simulator."

"And on top of that, the Lancelot has finally been fixed after its legs were smashed by debris," the Governor General added. "Meaning that it's fully operational and ready for deployment, leading me to the even better news…"

The former assistant shot the scientist a warning look, to which the Earl replied with a shrug, mouthing _'but we need the data!', _causing Cecile to sigh and roll her eyes. Try as she might, Lloyd would be Lloyd…there was no changing that.

"By Lloyd's orders as the Governor General, you and the Lancelot are to be deployed to the Narita Mountains to assist Princess Cornelia in subduing the Japanese Liberation Front," the head of Camelot related, trying very hard not to show any sign of disapproval. "During this operation, the Lancelot will be equipped with the experimental Float System and the VARIS, allowing it to strike from the air to suppress enemy Knightmares. For the duration of the missions, it will be designated the Lancelot Air Cavalry."

"Unfortunately, the Hadron Cannon is still in development, or this would have the perfect opportunity to test it," Lloyd groused, wondering how work on the Gawain was proceeding at one of Prince Schneizel's private research laboratories. "Though I wish we could be the one to perfect that system…"

Cecile tapped her foot as the Earl began going off on a tangent.

"Lloyd…" she said in warning, her tone promising pain.

The Governor General just scratched his head.

"Sorry, sorry. I do get carried away at times," he conceded reluctantly. "But think of all the data we could be gathering from it."

"So I will be facing—"

"Lloyd believes there to be a greater than even chance that Zero will appear," Cecile answered, a haze of red flashed before Kururugi's eyes at the mention of the hated name. "That is why he's overriding Princess Cornelia's objections and ordering you deployed."

She did not mention that Lloyd was only after the data this encounter might bring, given that the Lancelot was the only Knightmare that had survived a confrontation with the masked figure.

"This system is also being developed for the Sutherland Air units, so in the next few days, we will need you to test to learn how well it works with the frame," she continued evenly. "That way, we can minimize compatibility issues when integrating these experimental components into the frames to be upgraded."

All of this simply meant one thing to Suzaku.

"So you want me to pilot the Lancelot and test this system in order to learn what you need to know for the Sutherland Airs," the pilot surmised, thinking inwardly that it was his best chance to end the existence of Zero, the bringer of chaos. "When do I start?"

"We'll be working through the night, I'm afraid," the Governor General spoke. "Unfortunately, the operation is in two days, and I can't delegate all my work to the Sub-Viceroy."

"You really shouldn't be delegating as much as you are now," Cecile chided, only for Lloyd to simper in annoyance.

"But Cecile…" Lloyd started, thinking of how annoying the politicians were. Then he changed tactics, seeing as his former assistant seemed almost scary. "Well, let's get to work, shall we?"

* * *

**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

"Ah, so that's why you two were in the shower together!" Milly crowed, her eyes narrowing as she looked over Kallen's ample figure. "And here Shirley thought you were trying to seduce her dear Lulu with _these_! I guess she might have a rival for Lulu's affections, especially if you turn up your…charm."

_Squish! Squish!_

True to the accusations of her being a little too physical with her friends, the blonde reached out and groped Servant Rider, raising an eyebrow at how supple but firm the latter's breasts were were.

"Madame Prez!" Kallen exclaimed, jerking herself away from the wandering hands of the Student Council President. "What are you talking about? You-you're just a dirty old man, aren't you?"

The Student Council President only laughed at this.

"Hey, at least I'm not a demon, like you claim Avenger is," Milly whispered slyly, a sultry smirk on her lips. "Then again, I suppose I _could_ be a succubus."

"Right, a succubus," the redhead countered, somewhat bemused. "Somehow, I wouldn't be surprised. But what's there to claim? If he made a contract with a witch, and appears like a creature of blood and shadow, then doesn't that make him a demon?"

"No, I think warlock is a more appropriate term for a spellcaster," the blonde shot back, demonstrating her knowledge of magic. "But then, I could be a witch too. After all, I know a few spells."

"Oh? Like what?" Rider asked, intrigued by this mention of magecraft-if the Ashford heir wasn't kidding around, that was. "And I'm not convinced… I won't be satisfied easily, you know."

"Oh, is that what you tell dear Euphie when you're alone together?" the Student Council President asked, wagging her eyebrows for effect. "That you won't be easily satisfied?"

_Thwack!_

Kallen's forehead met her palm so fast that she could have sworn she had gotten whiplash.

"Anyway, what about that spell of yours?" the redhead said, trying to change the subject from something she was uncomfortable discussing.

"I'll right, I'll demonstrate," Milly voiced with relish, pumping her fist. "GUTS!"

"That's it?" the Servant questioned, disappointed.

"Hey, it certainly gets Shirley going," the blonde answered, raising her hands in mock protest. "So supple and willing, that one."

Rider just looked at the Black Knight's press secretary askance. Between the eyeing, the teasing, and the groping—she wasn't exactly sure who or what the blonde was into, and was beginning to think that the succubus description made as much sense as any she had heard of for the Ashford heir.

"She misunderstands about the smallest things," Kallen sighed, shaking her head. "Really, there's nothing going on."

"Somehow, I don't think catching you and Lulu in the shower together, finding you two holding hands in the Student Council Clubroom, or discovering that you've been out at night together are _small things_," Milly shot back with a sarcastic drawl, though she glanced over Kallen appraisingly. "Don't tell me you actually like him?"

"What? I don't spend time with him because I like him or anything! Who would admire that guy?" Rider protested, a slight flush on her irritated face. "What would make you even think something like that?"

"You're cute when you're annoyed," Milly noted, causing Kallen to avert her eyes. "But anyway, about more than half the school – some of the guys as much as the fanatical fangirls."

"…really?" Kallen asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Somehow, I can't see that happening if they knew the real Lelouch…"

"Quite a character, isn't he?" the blonde said, more of a statement than a question. "With enough anger in him to strip the paint off a Knightframe frame…at least it seems that way sometimes."

"You know him pretty well, don't you?" Kallen reflected, realizing that the only real explanation for Milly being recruited to the Knights was probably Lelouch's influence.

"Yeah…you could say that," the Ashford heir sighed. "I helped teach him how to pilot a Knightmare, you know?"

"You pilot Knightmares?" the redhead asked, once again skeptical. "You taught him to pilot…?"

"Hey, the Ashford Foundation used to make Knightmare Frames, and we still have the Ganymede," Milly shot back. "Besides, why shouldn't the son of Marianne 'the Flash' know his way around a Knightmare Frame?"

"…wait, his mother was _that_ Marianne?"

Anyone who knew about Knightmare history at all knew the name of Marianne 'the Flash', the infamous test pilot who had been appointed a Knight of the Round, one rumored to be unsurpassed even by those of the Rounds today.

"I thought you knew, after your little spat with him the other day," the blond spoke quizzically, lips quirking into a strange expression. "Ah, it was the other part of his heritage that first sank in."

"Well…yeah," Kallen admitted. "But you can understand why, right?"

"The world would certainly be stunned to know who Avenger was," Milly conceded, though her eyes took on a gleam of mirth moments later. "Though knowing that might only make them think he was even more of a demon…"

"What, like Zero raised him from the dead?" Kallen joked, only to find Milly looking at the computer in the corner of the room.

"You'd be surprised about the rumors on the net," the blonde said at last. "The Black Knights are certainly the most popular topic of discussion these days."

"I can imagine," Rider said noncommittally.

"Anyway, it's kind of fun to talk to the person you really are," Milly spoke, with a small but genuine smile on her lips. "Don't get me wrong, the soft-spoken, fragile girl act is cute too, but I respect this side of you too, especially after knowing your heritage and what you do on your days off."

"You may have seen through me, Madame President, even still, I'd like it if you were to never say anything about this to the people at school," Kallen said, suddenly very serious. "It could make my life very…difficult."

"I think Lelouch told you once before Kallen, I like knowing peoples' secrets, but I'm not one to tell them," the blonde replied gently. "Besides, if I did I'd get in trouble with my new boss, now wouldn't I?"

"Heh, that you would," Kallen admitted. "The boss is…interesting, to say the least, though if you work closely with her, you'll find that out soon enough."

"I always knew Lelouch like working under powerful women," Milly laughed softly, rolling her eyes. And then her expression grew distant, as if looking into something out of memory. "After all…he stayed by my side all these years…"

Kallen wisely said not a word in reply.

* * *

**A/N**: Well, Narita in the next chapter. R&R if you please, and thanks as always!


	19. Splintering Shatterpoint

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**JLF Observation Post Number Five, Narita Mountains**

Compared to the more "glamorous" duties such as infiltrating an enemy base, investigating a rumor of enemies in the area, or leading an elite group of Knightmare Pilots against Britannian forces, sentry duty was often seen as demeaning, a punishment handed out to those who had proven incapable in some way. Or so at least was the common perception, especially when said sentries were stationed deep within territory one's group controlled, on a mountaintop where encountering an enemy was unlikely, at best.

Such was the case for two sentinels of the Japanese Liberation Front, sitting within a lonely cabin in the Narita Mountains.

"Sector five, nothing to report," one of the soldiers reported over the phone—one of the few amenities in the spartan cabin, aside from chairs, a table, and a go board. "Right, then next scheduled report will be in two hours."

"Of course there's nothing to report," his partner pointed out sardonically, looking back to the game board. "This area's controlled by the Japanese Liberation Front. No one can just stroll in..."

_Creak!_

As if to prove them wrong, there was a rustling sound as the back door of the hut opened, revealing an ominous masked figure draped in blood and darkness—Avenger, the subcommander of the Black Knights.

"Avenger! How did you—?" the two burst out, leaping to their feet and training their weapons on the masked vigilante—though they realized that if Avenger had come to kill them, firearms would likely be of no use.

"Relax, I only came to deliver some interesting news," the Servant remarked, a wry smirk hidden behind his mask. "In a few hours, your main base be attacked by the Britannian Army, under the command of Princess Cornelia li Britnania. Without the assistance of the Black Knights, your defeat is certain."

"Wha-?" Both sentries' eyes bulged in shock and incredulity, never expecting to hear such a thing. Bad news was something that was usually reported to their commanders, not to them, and with their low rank in the organization…

An amused chuckle issued from behind the Servant's mask.

"Please feel free to inform your commanders of this information, though as my price, I ask you to ignore any unusual activity during your watch," Lelouch requested politely. "Unless of course, you think you can win against the Witch of Britannia without aid. Decide as you will, it's a simple matter of if you value your life."

_Gulp!_

"We will have to call headquarters…" one of them extemporized. While Zero, for all her quirks and enigmas, was a symbol of victory against superior foes, Avenger was a powerful avatar of retribution that would rain vengeance down upon oppressors like Britannia, and to have either of those beings simply appear and offer help on the eve of an attack was a miracle in itself. Yet, as soldiers, they still had a duty to—

"As I have said, feel free," replied the masked one, voice cool and low like the swirling winds. "But if you do contact them, make it clear that they are not to hinder my operations, as I am not their enemy. And you know what the Black Knights are capable of if we are betrayed, isn't that right, gentlemen?"

In a choice between angering the command staff (which was a fair distance away) or angering one who seemed a personification of death itself (and which was right there with them), there was no choice, really.

"…yes, Avenger. Your will be done."

* * *

**Narita Mountains**

_Blink-blink-blink_ came flashes of light from the vicinity of the observation post at the summit, flashes that were picked up by the factsphere of a Burai concealed amidst the trees.

"I've confirmed the signal from Avenger," the pilot noted, passing on this information by word of mouth—avoiding the use of radio. "Proceed to waypoint 2."

While operating in an area controlled by another group's forces, particularly if said group had reason not to be friendly, radio silence was highly recommended, as any radio transmission ran the risk of revealing troop positions to unwanted listeners. Thus, when infiltrating enemy or neutral strongholds as a prelude to an operation-the Narita Mountains certainly counting, as it was the headquarters of the Japanese Liberation Front, the largest resistance organization in Area 11), Zero and Avenger had declared it standard operating procedure to only use line of sight signals until the time came for mission start.

Still, a ban of radio chatter didn't mean that the Black Knights would suddenly lose their curiosity, especially since all the equipment they had been assigned to move seemed odd, as it comprised a rather large percentage of their total supplies: Knightmares, excavators, weapons and more. That, combined with the somewhat secretive nature of their enigmatic leader, tended to inspire conversation about what the latest operation would be.

"What do you suppose Zero meant when she said hiking?" one of the Black Knights asked.

"Probably another intervention – I wonder who our opponent will be this time," one of the others mused aloud. "This is rumored to be the territory of the Japanese Liberation Front, but we're not going to fight them this time, are we? I mean, we faced them at Lake Kawaguchi, but..."

"Don't know," another replied, scratching his head. "I hope not, and I don't think there are many criminal elements in the area. So…the Britannians maybe?"

"But if that's the case…where's Zero?" the first asked, somewhat curious about the arrangements. "She left Avenger as field commander again, and she took her frame with her."

"Probably taking care of another vital task, like she always does," Kallen broke in, garnering a nod or two from the others. "Besides, from Shinjuku we know that Avenger makes a good tactician anyway, so it's no surprise he's left in charge."

"You're probably right…" Ohgi conceded from the open cockpit of his Burai. "I'm sure Zero knows what she's doing."

Rider herself was slightly dubious about the prospect of challenging the forces of Princess Cornelia once again, particularly in such conditions as these. According to Zero, Servants Lancer and Berserker would likely be deployed in this battle—with Berserker in the White Knightmare that had proven so annoying in the past, so this would be a good opportunity to eliminate both of them, if possible. And given that they would both have some kind of Geass (probably combat oriented, unlike Avenger's), the redhead felt a small amount of trepidation at the thought of facing these other Champions.

Still, sitting in her Guren Mk-II, she rather thought she would be able to, as her radiant wave surger would make short work of any who dared approach for melee combat…and her Geass could turn aside ranged attacks.

'_But I must win. For the sake of Japan, I must win.'_

* * *

**Outside Code-R Research Facility, Narita Mountains**

Utilizing the stealth capabilities built into the Shen Hu, Zero was sneaking about-as much as one could "sneak" about in a Knightmare Frame, at least-the area around Narita, using the Frame's sensors to scan the terrain for a match with what she remembered of the Code-R laboratory's location. Given the project's connections to the Code-bearer V.V., as well as the advanced technology being developed there—technology on human augmentation as well as Knightmare frames—it was imperative that she neutralize the threat which it posed to her objectives.

'_The only reason V.V. was the last Champion standing in the most recent Eden Vital War was that he enjoys ambushing others when they were busy fighting one another_,' the immortal witch thought to herself, frowning. _'Which means that he probably means to do something of the same today, when the four gathered here—well, the three that he can sense—will be engaged in combat. And given the nature of the _Orange_ machine I observed in the laboratory…'_

Though the Geass Witch had been rendered incapable of movement by confinement within a high-pressure chamber during her last "visit" to the laboratory, she had been careful to make a mental note of anything that might eventually be used against her.

'_I will not allow that Orange Giga Fortress to be deployed—or at least, to wreak havoc on the battlefield,'_ the immortal resolved, probing for the location with her mind as well as her factspheres. _'Berserker will already prove troubling enough—particularly if the Governor General has ordered more enhancements made to that machine.'_

C.C. narrowed her eyes as she detected an abnormal heat reading, a sign of high power consumption where there shouldn't be any.

"Well then, its close, I can feel it," Zero whispered to herself, settling down to wait for the battle to begin, so as to provide enough chaos to cover the disturbance her assault on the facility would generate. "You cooperated with V.V. in your quest for power and immortality, my dear foolish ones. Don't worry, I will show you an eternity—an eternity of pain."

**

* * *

**

**G-1 Mobile Base, Britannian Forces**

Meanwhile, back at the Mobile Base that served as the command post for the Britannian Forces, Governor General Lloyd Asplund, Princess Cornelia li Britannia, Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia and the Glaston Knights were studying the tactical map of the area, considering the deployment of the available Knightmare Frames and other units.

"We are certain that the Japan Liberation Front headquarters in this area," rumbled Andreas Darlton, Knight of Honor of Princess Cornelia. "We've already split 4 battalions into seven units and hidden them in the vicinity."

"And of course, we have my Lancelot Air Cavalry," Lloyd interjected, unable to resist the mention of the latest upgrade to the machine. "A Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame with higher mobility than any before it, able to swoop down from above—and it _will_ be deployed in this battle."

The Chief General of the Imperial Army was in no mood to argue with the Earl of Pudding as to the details of her operation, so she simply nodded and waved him off. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to indulge the man every once in a while…

'_Especially if those Black Knights decide to appear,'_ Cornelia thought smugly, her lips twisting up into a cruel smirk. _'As they call themselves Knights for Justice, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to intervene—but even Zero cannot be everywhere at once, and I'm certain that it's possible to overwhelm her with sheer numbers of units. We do have reserves, after all.'_

"Very well, Earl Asplund," the Second Princess of the Empire conceded. "The Lancelot will serve as a support unit in case the Black Knights appear in battle. Its aim, of course, will be to kill Zero, and cut off the head of the snake."

Euphemia was somewhat troubled by this declaration, seeing as Zero and Avenger had saved her life, and that they had meant well. True, the masked leader of the Black Knights had killed Clovis, but…

'_I don't know. I recognize the necessity to take precautions in case of an attack, but to dedicate so much effort to killing Zero seems excessive,'_ the pink-haired Sub-Viceroy thought privately, not liking the idea of violence in general. _'I admit that anything less probably wouldn't stop her, but is it really right to throw away so many lives just to kill one person?'_

That the Third Princess of the Empire didn't know. Victory was one thing, but was maintaining the customs of the Empire worth paying such a heavy price, particularly when there would be little gain from it?

'_So far, Zero has only counterattacked, never seeking to start hostilities—but on each occasion, she has made it clear that she will be the one to finish them.'_

Which made her worry for her sister, as Cornelia believed that if Zero appeared on this day, it would be the masked warrior's end.

**

* * *

**

**Militarized Zone of Liaodong, Chinese Federation**

"Our intelligence indicates that most of the Britannian Forces in Area 11 are moving to suppress rebel elements," reported one of the aides swarming the command bridge of a Da Longdan, a hovering pyramid-shaped mobile fortress bristling with cannons, and capable of deploying hundreds of Gun-Ru Knightmares. This particular Da Longdan had the distinction of being the flag vessel for Chief Cabinet Secretary Sawasaki Atsushi's long-awaited "retaking" of Area 11.

"Yes, and with the Japanese Liberation Front tied down in battle as well, there will be none left to oppose us in the push to 'liberate' Kyushu," confirmed General Zhao, looking over the tactical map and smiling to see just how much of the Chinese Federation's military might had been gathered for this operation. "I trust you are pleased with this, Sawasaki?"

"Indeed, indeed," the official in question said, smiling sinisterly. Finally, there would be a legitimate, independent Japan once more—an independent Japan that he controlled. "The chaos of Zero and the incompetence of the Britannian Governor General have done much towards allowing our invasion to take place."

"True…though a measure of caution is advised," noted Li Xingke, who was as up to date as it was possible to be on the situation in Area 11. "It would be best to leave Zero to the Britannians for now, letting them deal with each other, as to do otherwise poses too much risk for little return."

"An excellent suggestion," responded General Zhao, peering out at the gathered fleet. "However, even if this Zero is formidable as reports seem to indicate, even the mightiest warrior may be overwhelmed by superior numbers."

"In any case, the opportunity has come for the liberation of Japan," concluded Sawasaki. "The Holy Britannian Empire, neither Holy nor Britannian, nor truly an Empire, will soon lose its most strategic land."

**

* * *

**

**G-1 Mobile Base, Britannian Forces**

"All units are in position."

So a voice reported over the radio, notifying Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia, the field commander of the operation against the Japanese Liberation Front, of the forces' readiness for battle.

"Understood," Cornelia acknowledged from within her personal Gloucester, from which she would take personal command of a division of the mechanized ranks. She didn't much like leaving command of the G-1 Mobile Base to Governor General Asplund, but unfortunately, she couldn't be in multiple places at once—and the man's rank as Governor General did supersede that of all others in the Area. "Earl Asplund will provide support and direction from the G1 as planned, with the Special Corps standing by for action."

Another buzz from the radio, as Gilbert G.P. Guilford, Knight of Honor to Cornelia, contacted the Princess about a matter he found somewhat troubling.

"Guilford, let me guess," Cornelia spoke. "This is about Euphie and the Governor General, isn't it?"

"Yes," the knight replied, rather concerned for the gentle Sub-Viceroy, who really had no place on the battlefield. "She really should be back at the government bureau, as should the Governor General, as neither have any command experience whatsoever..."

The purple-haired princess only sighed, shaking her head as she recalled the arguments that the three had had about coming out here—and how the Earl had used the Sub-Viceroy's request to twist Cornelia's will into letting him go.

"They were…unusually stubborn about being present at this operation," Cornelia said at last. "Euphie told me that she wanted to see actual combat for herself. And as for Asplund…"

"He just wanted data for his Lancelot, I assume?" came the knowing voice.

"Right."

Back at the base, Euphie was looking at the tactical map, curious as to why there was a unit so far behind the lines.

"Oh, that's the Lancelot Air Cavalry, the first flying Knightmare in existence," Lloyd explained with a giddy smile. "It's good that the Special Corps is finally getting more chances at real combat."

Euphemia looked at the man strangely, then pulled him aside for a private conversation.

"Why did you place so much pressure on my sister?" the Sub-Viceroy asked her boss. "It's making things rather awkward in the command center."

"Why should I care?" the Earl of Pudding replied, shrugging. "You know as well as I do, the biggest human flaw is that we're so pitifully fragile in our bodies, our hearts, and our relationships with each other."

"Still," Euphemia insisted, "you can't just bend the world or people any which way you want."

"And why not?" the Governor General asked. "I want every part in my mechanisms to function exactly as I wish."

Then he walked over back to the tactical map and hit the broadcast button.

"Alright, its time everyone," Earl Asplund relayed. "Commence Operation!"

At his command, the hidden away Knightmares activated, streaming from trains, from concealment, from mobile bases and VTOLs out towards the mountain they had encircled, with Cornelia, Darlton, and Alex in command of the lead striking elements.

"You of the Japan Liberation Front, who time has left behind," the Second Princess muttered madly. "You who have forgotten basic human decency. You and your dream of a bygone golden age shall fall and rot to nothingness!"

**

* * *

**

**Summit, Narita Mountains**

"So it begins," rumbled Avenger, as the man cloaked in blood and shadow regarded the flurry of movement in the distance. He cast a critical eye over the work the Black Knights had done at the summit of the mountain they had climbed, noting the pattern in which the excavators had been drilled. "Excellent, everything is going just as planned."

Around him, the Black Knights looked down in confusion, noting the extremely heavy Britannian presence below, finding it quite strange how the area had been surrounded. To their credit, none of them actually panicked, as they had been expecting action, however…

'_This is just like Saitama and Shinjuku…only this time…'_

"Just what exactly is this?" asked Inoue, one of the original members of Kallen's resistance group. "This time, we're going to fight Cornelia's forces without an escape route?"

"Yeah, and where's Zero this time?" Tamaki piped up, as he didn't see the masked woman anywhere. "Don't tell me she abandoned us."

"Of course not…she will be striking from behind," Avenger replied gravely. "As of now, all escape has been cut off—our only hope of survival is to fight. We have held off Cornelia before, but this time, I do not offer a stalemate. I offering you a chance at crushing victory!"

Victory…a word heard little enough before they had joined the Black Knights, and never quite on this scale. Was it really possible that they might prevail this day over insurmountable odds—particularly when their great leader was not watching over them? Even with Avenger present in her stead, they wondered…

"Avenger," Ohgi spoke up. "Can we really win against such numbers? I mean, this is Cornelia, whose forces are stronger than any we've previously encountered."

"Yeah," Tamaki added. "We're surrounded, and yet you want us to fight them head on?"

"Indeed," Avenger rumbled, spreading his arms as if beseeching silence. "It would take nothing short of a miracle for us to win here, even serving as the JLF's support."

The eyes of the Black Knights widened, as they looked up at the man with horror, thinking that he had committed them to a suicide mission.

"So this is—"

"A chance to prove ourselves as messiahs," the masked man cut in, unwilling to let them finish their complaints. "Have Zero and I not already performed miracles on many occasions? Have we not demonstrated our power over anything Britannia can throw at us? And now, is it not your turn to produce a miracle, my Knights?"

"Yeah, but will that be enough?" Tamaki spoke up, proving that his hot-headedness was still as dominant as ever. "What will be the price of this miracle? Our lives?"

Behind his mask, Avenger merely smirked.

"Tamaki, were it not for me, your life would have been forfeit to Britannia multiple times over," the masked man of blood and fire intoned dramatically. "Indeed, such is the case for many of you standing here with me. Instead, your lives and freedom were bought with the blood of the Britannian Army! As Knights, I have given you back your lives; as Knights it is your turn to give me yours. One miracle demands another in turn…but if you do not think you are capable of a miracle…"

Avenger pulled out his handgun, pointing it at himself.

"If you are resigned to die, to waste the lives that we have saved, then simply shoot me here and now," the man declared, looking from face to face of his gathered soldiers. "For as a Black Knight, our fates are joined. As long as you wear those uniforms, you will either live with me—or you will die with me."

Unsurprisingly, given Avenger's rather decent track record, none of them chose to shoot. It was far better to have a chance to live, than to condemn oneself to certain death—and the most basic geass on all human souls was to continue onward. Thus the Knights steeled themselves for the battle to come, telling themselves that they would make a miracle happen.

"Very well then, my Knights, prepare to move out," Avenger spoke, looking about at his troops. "We will launch a surprise attack on the Britannians from the summit of the mountain. As per the plan in Operation Sturzstrom, you will charge en masse towards point three. The intent of this operation is the capture or death of Cornelia, second Princess of Britannia, with our breakthrough route to be opened by the Guren MK-II."

Within her Knightmare, Servant Rider nodded, verifying the status of weapons systems.

"Kallen, use penetrating electrode number three," came the order from the Sub-Commander. "Let's settle things with one blow!"

"Roger," Kallen confirmed, checking the levels of the wave surger. "Output confirmed, activating gauntlet now."

A powerful blast of concentrated microwave radiation surged forth from the silver gauntlet of the Guren Mk-II, flaring through the conducting electrode into the ground below, inducing an artificial pyroclastic flow. For a moment, nothing happened, but then the ground rumbled, and the face of the mountain itself gave way, a current of rock, soil and steam flooding down the mountain, straight for the Britannian Forces.

* * *

**Code-R Laboratory, Narita Mountains**

'_Now,' _the immortal Zero thought, powering up the Shen Hu's main systems as she caught sight of the Black Knights' artificially induced landslide. _'Air Glide System – online. Baryon particle cannon – online. Radiant Wave Shielding – Online. Truly this is an amazing machine that no mortal would be able to pilot at full capacity…very well then, power output at 100%. Let's end this.'_

Frame crackling with power, the Shen Hu lifted into the air, its Baryon cannon charged up and pointing at a certain spot on the ground that C.C. had point pointed earlier.

With a smirk hidden by her helmet, the green-haired immortal pulled the trigger, unleashing a particle beam of immense power into the ground, quickly melting through soil and rock to a metal structure—which too was melted through.

Down in the lab below, conditions had begun to grow uncomfortable for several reasons. First, the military encirclement did not help matters, as none of the Code-R scientists wished to be captured by any of the normal army forces. Secondly, there had been suspicions that Zero was in some way linked to Code-R. Third…well, third was the fact that their position was being assaulted by an immensely powerful Knightmare Frame.

"What?ǃ" one of the scientists exclaimed, as the particle cannon's beam tore through the facility, killing most in the augmentation / experimentation room and opening up a route by which the Knightmare could enter. "Was that…a hadron cannon?"

"I thought that was still in development…but the bogey isn't a Britannian Knightmare!" a second one cried out, fleeing to the escape hanger. Better capture by the army than death at the hands of an unknown assailant. "At this rate, it will expose our presence at Narita to the rebels and the army."

A second massive blast tore through the facility, melting the ground around it and causing molten rock to flow into the lab.

"There's no other choice," the voice of a small boy rang out.

"M-master V.V.?ǃ" one of the scientists burst out, incredulous.

"Indeed…it is time to prepare the Siegfried," the little blond immortal said, as he disappeared down into the lower reaches of the laboratory down an access shaft, headed for the Knight Giga Fortress that had once been code-named 'Orange.'

And then a voice issued from above, one they knew all too well.

"Members of the Code-R research team," a harsh female voice boomed out from the purple Knightmare. "This is Zero. Either surrender your facility to the Black Knights or prepare to die."

'_What? But how did Zero…how did she find us?ǃ'_

No answer.

"Oh, so you won't surrender. So be it, then," the voice declared, as two Slash Harkens shot out, reducing all of those who had experimented on the immortal C.C. into bloody smears on the metal floor.

_Rumble!_

The ground below shook and heaved and quaked as something massive moved beneath, and Zero was just perceptive enough to send the Shen Hu darting back out of the facility as a massive orange and green assault craft shot into the sky, spinning like a whirling dervish of destruction as its Slash Harkens lashed out for the more nimble Shen Hu.

'_It's operational…those scientists managed to complete the frame…and it's pilot is…'_

A cool child-like voice came over an open communication channel.

"It's time to die, Servant Rider."

'_V.V.?ǃ'_

* * *

**G-1 Mobile Base, Britannian Forces**

"What…the hell?ǃ What's happening?" one of the aides shouted in panic as unit after unit was buried under the unexpected landslide. "An earthquake?"

"At a time like this?" another asked, checking over the readings again, as if unable to believe what he was seeing. "This is impossible, how could a landslide come out of nowhere?"

'_Hmm…an abnormal heat reading. Could someone have used Rakshata's Radiant Wave Surger to induce a hydrovolcanic eruption?' _thought the Earl of Pudding, who as Governor General technically had command of all forces. _'It seems we have an interesting opponent…'_

"What is the status of our forces?" he asked, trying to get a handle on how much had been lost due to the unexpected mudslide.

"We are still trying to get confirmation," one of the subordinates reported. A moment later, the man looked back in shock as two new contacts appeared on the sensor net, one extremely massive. "My Lord, you had better take a look at this…"

On the screen, two units unlike anything the Earl was familiar with were dueling in mid-air, a purple knightmare like a warrior of old pitted against an aerial fortress.

'_Both of those have float systems? But I thought the Lancelot had the only Float System in existence…you mean _that woman_ completed it?'_

The woman in question was Rakshata Chawla, the Indian scientist who the Earl of Pudding considered his only true rival. To think that someone had perfected these technologies ahead of him...it frustrated him to no end.

"So, the Black Knights have shown themselves," he spoke into the broadcast microphone, "Warrant Officer Kururugi, you are hereby given permission to launch - engage the enemies in the air with the Lancelot Air Cavalry."

"Yes, my lord!" was the reply, as Suzaku Kururugi, who had been eagerly awaiting this order, activated his float unit, sending the Lancelot into the air, with MVS in one hand and VARIS in the other.

'_Yes…the moment has come to show my worth…for when I find Zero, I will kill her with my own hands,' _the Warrant Officer thought, feeling his grip on sanity begin to slide as rage clouded his mind. His instincts were still unmatched, but on another level he could feel a deep wrongness clouding the land, a shadow that obscured…and yet he could also sense the presence of other Servants. _'More…more abominations…they must die. They must all die that I may LIVE!'_

With a bestial roar, Berserker's White Knightmare rocketed towards the dueling Knightmares, eager to join the fray.

'_VARIS set to maximum anti-material level…fire!'_

A burst of blue particle blasts lanced out towards both combatants, aiming to consign both battlers to fiery death.

**

* * *

**

**Battlefield**

Meanwhile, the battle below was going well for the Black Knights. Two of the three major divisions of the enemy forces had been buried under the landslide, which Kallen had guided with her Geass to deal as much damage possible to Britannian forces while avoiding the city of Narita itself. It would not do for the Knights of Justice to stand accused of mass manslaughter as they fought their foes, after all.

"It was more destructive than I anticipated," Avenger remarked, well pleased by the damage that had been done to Britannian forces. Unfortunately, neither Lancer nor Berserker had been slain in the attack, but he would more than accept the enemy losing over 2/3 of its forces in one fell swoop. "Excellent job maneuvering the landslide for maximum effect, Q-1. Now, let's move out and engage the enemy!"

They proceeded to do so, with the Guren Mk-II's radiant wave surger striking again and again, backed up by Avenger and his team of Burais as they shot up the enemy.

'_It amuses me how much the enemy underestimates the power of the Guren—though where is C.C. with the Shen Hu?'_

That unit should have been here by now, but…

_WHOOSH!_

A great particle beam cut a massive swathe of destruction into the mountain, as a great orange shaped assault craft with giant spikes protruding at all angles bobbed and weaved and sped about, spinning like a top as it lashed out with numerous Slash Harkens – for the White Knightmare, which dodged both those as its rifle spat blue fire at the Shen Hu, which repelled the blasts with a spinning shield of electrified Slash Harkens.

'_So…Zero is there, and Berserker…but who is piloting the Orange?'_

Sparks flew in midair, as the two units weaved and danced about, seeking to bring about each other's destruction, but Lelouch knew he could not pay attention to that, as other foes were on the way, and Cornelia lay ahead.

'_Gloucesters…and Lancer is among them.'_

"All units, Cornelia is in our sights," he advised. "Do not let her escape."

**

* * *

**

**Mid-Air Duel**

As C.C. was discovering much to her annoyance, the Knight Giga Fortress Siegfried boasted excellent mobility despite its size, due to its inbuilt float system and vernier jets all over its body, combined with the increase in reaction time allowed by a direct connection of nervous system to the machine's control system.

Thankfully, the Shen Hu was also a powerful Knightmare, designed to the highest technical specifications possible, and it more than matched the enemy in speed and maneuverability.

'_Still…it is constructed well…even my electrified Slash Harken did not disable it, since its hull is also electrified! And on top of that, it has Blaze Luminous technology.'_

So the immortal had discovered when the Lancelot's VARIS rounds impacted the Knight Giga Fortress to no noticeable effect, with the giant orange spinning about to deflect the shots before countering with its numerous oversized slash harkens, each as large as the Lancelot itself.

'_LIVE!'_

Of course, the Geass of Absolute Survival came in here, as Suzaku Kururugi was able to block or dodge the strikes, pushing the Lancelot to the best of its ability back towards the earth. He wished to fight, he wished to destroy the creatures in these two Knightmares…but the pilot could feel death rising to meet him if he maintained his course, and as much as he wished to obey his orders—he found himself turning away, his unit headed in the direction of…_the other Servants._

"You will not run rampant, Berserker!" cried Zero, shooting her electrified Slash Harkens at the White Knightmare, only for a barrage of oversized spikes to lance at Shen Hu from the Siegfried, diverting her attention into defense. "Damn it!"

The crimson sigil emblazoned on her forehead flared into light as a powerful mental assault was repulsed, and both Code-bearers became aware of the presence of the other.

'_You will not stop me with such a thing!'_

Using her frame's full power, the immortal backed off, dancing through the spinning storm of destruction that sped her way from the Giga Fortress, her lips pressing into a thin line as she heard the voice of a young boy over an open communications channel.

"I see. You're not Rider at all, but C.C. Nothing that happens now is your concern," V.V. spoke, as he redoubled his assaults, using his unit itself as a weapon, its shields and considerable size making ramming a more than viable option. "Your very existence is a mistake. You, like all other lies, need to be released from the face of the earth."

But a smaller frame proved to be more nimble, and the Shen Hu avoided the spinning rush of the orange aerial fortress.

"A lie, am I?" C.C. replied, powering up the Baryon Cannon once more. "So says the deceiver, lying in wait in the shadows, Code-bearer."

_WHOOSH!_

Light and heat rippled outward from a massive dislocation in space, as the Shen Hu's particle beam pierced the heavens, grazing the Knight Giga Fortress' shields as the larger unit dodged the worst of it. Where it had hit, the Blaze Luminous had flickered, almost vanishing in the moment of contact.

"Heh, how interesting to be lectured by one who serves the conglomerate sins of humankind," the young boy responded, retaliating with a barrage of anti-Knightmare missiles—which were blocked by a radiant wave shield. "In hope and atonement, in freedom and solitude, you serve the entity called the world and its gods, wishing for their continued existence…isn't that right, Counter-Guardian?"

'_Time to cut some of those Slash Harkens!' _Zero thought to herself, as the Shen-Hu drew a double bladed short sword for use in close combat, its wrist mounted Slash Harkens spinning about as a makeshift shield against other attacks.

"It has been a long time since anyone has called me by that title, Destrudo," the green-haired witch spoke flatly in turn, her unit drawing the other away from the mountain—away from the Servants. "How surprising, for a spectator to become an actor himself."

The Siegfried took the bait, as C.C. knew it would. V.V. had already shown his intent to disable or destroy her before the Eden Vital War had begun—and Zero would not allow the boy to take her Code, if for no other reason than she would not allow him to become a god.

'_If one posses both Codes in existence, then one has complete control over human thought, over the world of the unconscious. That is too much power for anyone…'_

"Rider, Berserker, and Lancer have all gathered here, C.C.," the eternally young V.V. countered with a disturbingly Cheshire smile. "What better chance than now to wipe them out in one fell swoop, leaving only Caster and an unawakened Saber for the final duel?"

_Whirr! Whoosh!_

Another barrage of missiles and Slash Harkens simultaneously, as the Siegfried spun, deflecting the momentum of any attacks made against it. Zero managed to dodge this, pulling back out of range and using the nimbleness of her unit to close in and slash with the maser vibration shortsword—only to be deflected by the all encompassing Blaze-Luminous once more.

"You are a failure as a Code-bearer, murderer of Lady Marianne," C.C. spat, showing a hint of a snarl. "The world you wish for will not come to pass."

"Is that so, you who have merely existed for thousands of years?" the pilot of Siegfried inquired snidely. "Have you not learned that all humans are liars? That your continued existence is meaningless, that your wish is simply something that will never be fulfilled? What can you really protect except your empty ideals?"

As if to lead her on, the orange frame changed directions, flying towards the Britannian lines, as if daring the Shen Hu to come and stop it before it slew all the Servants on the field.

"And have you not yet learned, young child, that no one is blameless, including yourself? Your world without lies is built on the greatest lie of all, that the world would be a better place for it," Zero shot back, following at a distance, but closing quickly.

"You will defend it then, Reaper?" V.V.'s voice shot back. "You have no champion, and yet you wish to fight in this war? For the sake of a long dead wish…"

"Of course, for I am C.C., the Unyielding Shadow, and I will be your death."

"Come at me then, if you think you can win."

* * *

**A/N: **The Battle begins. In the next chapter, the duel continues, and the four Servants will face off both on the battlefield of Narita, and Phantasmagoria. The world shifts towards overturning. Read and Review, if you please. Twould be most appreciated.


	20. Diffuse Shadowlight

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**G-1 Mobile Base**

"What?ǃ Not even a scratch?" Governor General Asplund voiced in incredulity, noting that the Knight Giga Fortress had just repelled Lancelot's most powerful attack without damage at all, revealing that it was equipped with—_'A full body Blaze Luminous? But even the Lancelot only has those shields mounted to its forearms…' _

And then he noticed the Lancelot veering away from the mid-air duel, turning instead to swoop down towards the reported position of the Black Knights, using its VARIS rifle to rain glowing blue death down upon any Knightmare in its way, a trail of explosions marking his passage.

"Right…I suppose I should be glad he is preserving the Lancelot, but—"

He wasn't too happy at the thought of a Knightmare Frame existing that his seventh generation prototype could not so much as scratch, much less two of them. Who had designed these things?

_BOOM!_

Not too far from the mobile base, the immense Giga Fortress had barreled into the ground, its spinning rondo of destruction annihilating everything in its path, Britannian and rebel alike, as its Slash Harkens shot again and again towards the smaller Shen Hu, which slipped from the enemy clashing obliquely and rebounding from one another in a tango of despair.

'_That Giga Fortress doesn't care about the casualties to either side one bit. The devicer operating it, V.V., whoever he is, is clearly not our ally.'_

Communications between the two dueling Knightmares had been broadcast over an open channel, and though it seemed the two combatants had a very personal grudge against one another (_was the one in the orange aerial fortress really the murderer of Lady Marianne?)_, at least one seemed to be affiliated with neither side of the conflict below (Lloyd assumed that the purple Knightmare likely belonged to Zero, given that he recognized Rakshata's handiwork), even though it had been mentioned previously in Code-R research.

'_What audacity. The only logical explanation for this is that Code-R is related to a second conflict going on beneath the surface of this one, one which this war is only a cover for. That would explain the presence of these advanced Knightmare Frames here,' _the Governor-General thought to himself, furrowing his brows in frustration. _'But if Zero is a participant in this shadow war, fighting for an unknown cause, I wonder if the Black Knights are nothing more but a lure to draw out her true adversary…'_

_Rumble! Boom!_

The ground shook as the Knight Giga Fortress Siegfried continued to lash out in all directions, its weapons striking Knightmares, tanks, VTOLs...everything except its intended target. Quickly analyzing the tactical map, the Earl of Pudding could see the situation changing from bad to worse as the few surviving units of the landslide finally reported in, with more disappearing moment by moment.

"Sir, we have signal from less than 10% of our forces," one of the subordinates said, as communications was reestablished. "Second division has been wiped out completely, and the two Knightmare Frames in the sky are only making things worse."

"Sir, we have confirmation on the Second Princess' signal," another reported in. "Apparently, she was outside the mudflow—but something is approaching her from behind. What remains of our defensive lines are being wiped out by the new wave of hostiles—and the battle in mid-air isn't helping."

"Governor General, can the ASEEC's Knightmare do anything to assist? Are there any other units the Special Corps is holding in reserve?" asked yet another of the aides, now frantic.

"Well…there is one," Lloyd allowed, opening a line of communication with the Special Corps vehicle. "Cecile, how are the test parts working out?"

"They're ready to be practically applied," the earl's former assistant replied. "The Lancelot Club is ready to be deployed, as per your orders."

"Wonderful, wonderful. Cecile – sortie in the Lancelot Club and defend the Second Princess," the Governor General ordered, opening a channel to all remaining Britannian Forces. "All forces, this is Governor General Asplund, assuming overall command of the Narita operation. Available air units, you are to engage the orange aerial fortress. Knightmare forces, regroup around the Second Princess."

"As you command, my Lord," came the overwhelming response, as the soldiers were glad to have _someone_ in charge.

"Lancelot Club Z-01b now launching!" came the voice of the calm and collected Cecile, now in the cockpit of the second prototype.

And with that, a second White Knightmare shot up into the sky, moving to intercept the custom Burais of the JLF's Four Holy Swords.

* * *

**Battlefield, Narita Mountains**

In the wake of the devastating landslide, Princess Cornelia had been receiving reports from whatever units survived, expression grim as she took in exactly how much of their forces had been lost, not that the two Knightmare Frames somehow battling in mid-air made things any easier as they danced around one another, looking to strike a fatal blow with armaments far beyond what anything else on the field possessed.

This was absurd—only moments ago, the assault on the Japanese Liberation Front had been going so well, with the headquarters of that particular resistance movement in sight—and then a mudslide, of all things, had taken out over 90% of her forces, leaving her guard unit isolated, with the Black Knights following up on their opening move with a brutal assault.

'_Zero! You'll pay for this!' _the Second Princess swore to herself, gritting her teeth as—

_Crash!_

"What?ǃ" a gasp of surprise hissed from her lips as a Knightmare with some kind of chainsaw sword leaped out of cover and sliced one of her Royal Guard units in two.

"Protect her Highness!" Guilford ordered, as images flooded into his mind—images of the future course of these opponents. Instantly, he forced his Gloucester forward to counter the attack, interposing his unit's golden lance between his enemy's chainsaw katana and his frame. He managed to block, and thinking quickly, used the momentum of the enemy's attack to spin the enemy about, slamming the butt of his lance into it. "Your Highness, please…leave these to use. Withdraw for now."

_Clang! Crash! Whirr!_

For as skilled as Guilford was, even enhanced by the power of his Geass allowing him to see an opponent's future moves, his was but one unit, as opposed to the five enemies, who seemed to be of higher caliber than most Eleven pilots.

"Surround them," ordered Tohdoh, as the Four Holy Swords sped up, blades extended in a spiral of death. "Slash and encircle!"

_Crash!_

Another Gloucester torn in two by a Burai's chainsword, its sawlike teeth sounding out a grinding hiss amidst the din of the battle.

"The…Japanese Liberation Front?" Cornelia asked herself, as two of these custom units came charging for her, firing their Slash Harkens to ensnare her lance. But this only worked to her advantage, as the entanglement prevented her foes from running, letting her pull one of the Burais close, skewering its side with her golden spear. "Do you really think I'll abandon my soldiers, Guilford?"

Even while engaged in battle, Guilford realized that he could have phrased that far better.

"No, milady, but should you be captured, the blow to our morale would cost us the battle," the man continued, while grunting with exertion as he fought off two units at once, using his weapon's longer reach to keep distance. "And without you, these terrorists will overrun all of Area 11."

Though whether even Cornelia's presence would be able to hold back the "terrorists" was anyone's guess, particularly after the demonic Zero had appeared, striking fear into the hearts of many Britannians, turning the tide of even "unwinnable" battles through clever uses of a strange power and superior strategic ability.

"Very well, Guilford," the Princess conceded, pulling her personal unit away from the fray. "But after you drive them back, meet me over at point nine."

"Yes, Your Highness," the Knight of Honor acknowledged, blocking one unit's sword, then another. Being able to see exactly what an opponent would do next certainly helped—but there were still limits to what a single pilot could do when encircled by five opponents.

With a feral war cry, he charged forward, spinning his lance to counter the rain of heavy blows that threatened to cut him down where he stood, sending up a shower of sparks—followed by the deployment of three Chaos Mines against his foes.

In an instant, those canisters of shrapnel were lobbed into the air, breaking open and unleashing a storm of molten projectiles upon the ground where the Holy Swords had stood—though Tohdoh had ordered his forces to scatter as soon as Guilford's attack had ceased—with Tohdoh of Miracles himself charging right for Guilford's Gloucester.

"No!" the Knight barked, backing away and bringing his lance to block—but—

_Crash!_

-his Knightmare was struck from behind by one of the others, the blow shearing off the unit's lance arm.

'_No…at this rate…'_

The other members of the Royal Guard attempted to intervene, but they were quickly and brutally cut down as well, as more Burais swarmed into the area, bringing assault rifles, stun tonfas, slash harkens to bear, overwhelming the defenders.

Guilford shot a salvo of missiles into the Burais, destroying a few—but attracting the attention of the rest which charged in—

"Wh—at?"

—only for a whirling cyclone of blades to descend from the sky, blocking the projectiles with a green hexagon shield, as it spun about, kicking, slashing, getting inside the Burais' reach and disabling them with strikes to the power cores, using speed superior to a Gloucester. But what unit was it? It resembled the Lancelot, but…

"The Lancelot Club has arrived as relief," spoke the soft but firm voice of Cecile Croomy, from within the Lancelot's sister unit, built with Lancelot parts around a Sutherland Frame—the first and most powerful of the upgraded units.

_Whirr! Whoosh!_

This second White Knightmare was dual-wielding Maser Vibration Swords, seeming to block, strike, riposte all at once, as it took on one Knightmare after the next, its Float System allowing it to move about freely, without the need to worry about obstacles on the ground.

_Crunch!_

The sound of Slash Harkens embedding themselves in a Burai and tearing it in two.

_Screeeeech!_

The scream of metal on metal as a MVS sword slammed against a chainsword, as another slashed across a Burai's suddenly vulnerable limbs.

"Go after the Second Princess," the scientist ordered, cold steel in her tone. "I'll hold the Japanese Liberation Front here."

* * *

**Mid-Air Duel**

"You always were foolish, C.C., living for the sake of protecting others, believing that you have a chance to win," broadcast the disconcertingly young voice of V.V., as he sat within his floating fortress, using his unit's weapons to slash at anything that approached him—whether Black Knight or Britannian or JLF in nature. "Have you not yet learned that your struggle is pointless?"

Once again, Zero maneuvered the Shen Hu to avoid the Knightmare-sized Slash Harkens that threatened to entangle and tear apart her frame, keeping up her radiant wave shields for defense.

'_His Blaze Luminous barrier is extremely powerful, and while a full powered blast from my Baryon Cannon would likely be able to shatter it, that Orange is far too maneuverable for something of its size.'_

And then another minor nuisance joined the fight, as numerous VTOLs approached the dueling pair and opened fire with autocannons, rocket pods, and missiles.

'_How foolish,' _the eternally young boy thought to himself, moving at the speed of thought _towards_ the hundreds of missiles to take them all out at once, knowing his shields could handle it.

_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

Thunderous roars echoed over Narita as smoke and fire blossomed about the Knight Giga Fortress—only for the orange and green assault craft to emerge unscathed, deploying its oversized rocket anchors in retaliation, literally batting the VTOLs from the sky

'_Course predicted…Baryon Cannon…FIRE!'_

Light and heat rippled outward from a massive dislocation in space, as a particle beam lanced out from Shen Hu's chest, sweeping across the sky towards the Knight Giga Fortress—only for the other unit to pull back, with the blast instead vaporizing the entirety of Britannian air support in one hit.

'_Well…I suppose they could have been troublesome later,'_ Zero thought to herself, as the two units continued their deadly waltz of devastation. _'At least he isn't taking out the Servants…likely because V.V. knows that if he turns away, I'll take the chance to incinerate him.'_

"Pointless?" the green-haired Geass Witch shot back, her maser vibration shortsword slicing at one of the wires for the orange fortress' Slash Harkens, intending to disable the larger frame's weapons—only to be stopped as it went into yet another spin, making its movements unpredictable. "My enemies didn't seem to think so, though you can't exactly ask the dead for their opinions can you?"

"It won't matter, since you'll be joining them soon," V.V. replied, activating one of his frame's secondary abilities.

C.C.'s eyes widened momentarily at the sight of hundreds of missiles erupting from almost every single point of exposed hull on the Knight Giga Fortress, curving away from the massive assault craft, then splitting into hundreds more, locking on to the Shen Hu, intending to overwhelm the shields, or perhaps strike from behind, where the shields did not exist.

'_Heh…it will be a little more difficult to dodge this time…'_ she thought, utilizing the full power of the prototype frame to first draw the missiles after her, with the Knight Giga Fortress following behind to cut her off—though V.V. was not expecting Zero's Frame to shoot up into the air—and then abruptly swerve to rush right for the Siegfried, towing these anti-Knightmare rockets back towards the aerial fortress that had launched them.

'_What?ǃ' _V.V. panicked, ordering his craft into full retreat as the Shen Hu came streaking right for it. '_At this rate, both will—'_

Unwilling to play this suicidal game of chicken, the blond boy evaded, activating the spinning shield ability of the Siegfried, as the Shen Hu missed by bare meters, circling the orange floating fortress, sloughing off the missiles trailing behind it ten by ten, as hundreds of explosions bloomed on the fortress' shields.

"Oh, don't tell me you're afraid to die, V.V," the Geass Witch Zero taunted, spinning about and activating her unit's Baryon Cannon to wipe the skies of the remaining projectiles. "Such fear isn't fitting an immortal that wants to end the flow of time. How strange, you have a wish but fear to die for it?ǃ"

"Fear, I fear nothing, witch," V.V. countered, "for it is you who fear change, who fear the coming of the new era. You who have been betrayed time and time again, you who are an abomination who destroyed your own civilization—"

"—to preserve humanity as a whole," C.C. broke in, readying the Shen Hu for one last attack, pumping all available energy into maneuvering systems as she shot towards the aerial fortress one last time. Since the enemy was too maneuverable and too well shielded to destroy from range, she would have to get in close. "Now then, shall we bring this farce to an end, you failure of a Code-bearer?"

In response, the Siegfried spun up to full angular velocity, intending to carve the Shen Hu open using the edge of its Blaze Luminous as an unopposable blade.

"I shall erase your existence with pleasure, Counter Guardian," V.V. answered with relish, all seven of the spiky Slash Harkens shooting out to entangle and ensnare the Shen Hu, so as to bring it into range to be torn apart. "For the age of the Reaper has passed into dust."

Both frames rushed for one another at full speed, with the electrified Slash Harkens from the Shen Hu grappling onto the larger spikes of the Siegfried, allowing the Giga Fortress to draw the smaller frame closer and closer towards destruction, as the radiant wave shields barely held up under the strain—though this way, the spinning sawblade effect was negated, as the experimental Knightmare latched onto the Giga Fortress.

_Crunch!_

Contact with the spinning hull, with radiant wave shield opposing Blaze Luminous, as V.V. merely issued another mental command, activating the powerful electrical generators connected to the Siegfried's hull in an attempt to fry the opposing frame's systems. C.C. countered by sending streams of electricity down the Shen Hu's Slash Harkens, lessening its effects—though not enough to completely stop the attack.

"AUUGHH!" she screamed in agony, feeling the electricity burn through her body, nerves, muscles…but still—

"Hohoho," V.V. laughed sinisterly from upon his pilot's throne. "It's hopeless for you, C.C. This Knight Giga Fortress can defend against nearly any attack. And even though I may not be able to use my Slash Harkens at such close range, all I have to do is electrocute that little frame of yours. Now…accept your end with dignity!"

In the cockpit of the Shen Hu, C.C. smirked amidst the pain, preparing the Baryon Cannon for a final shot. At this range, even the Siegfried would be unable to dodge—or to defend at all, save for the use of its Blaze Luminous, and even that—

"Oh yeah? Well, electrocute _this_!" Zero called out, pulling the trigger, as molten power surged forth from the cannon's muzzle, light and heat rippling outward, _shattering_ the Blaze Luminous at with its intensity, punching straight through the hull and innards of the Siegfried and out the other side, coring out the oversized orange—vaporizing V.V. in an instant.

'_A pity he's not truly dead, since he will reappear in the World of C within a few days,'_ C.C. thought to herself, now free of the effects of electrocution. _'And now to deal with this remnant.'_

Without its engines and float systems, the Siegfried was as subject to the rule of gravity as anything else, just a falling mix of metal and sakuradite that would likely explode on impact with the ground. But where to—

'_There…let's cut off Cornelia's escape, shall we?'_ the immortal thought, catching sight of an isolated Gloucester with a white cape and two horns. Activating the full power of her unit's Air Glide System, C.C. altered the Siegfried's course just enough to crash down in the canyon where Cornelia was waiting.

_BOOM!_

The resulting impact and subsequent detonation threw up a massive cloud of dust and smoke, one that obscured sensors and visual acuity—but Zero already knew where Cornelia was, and so launched her Slash Harkens, the electrified rocket anchors whirling about, slicing into the weaker Knightmare, ripping off its limbs, and head—in effect, leaving only the cockpit and torso, as she lifted back into the air, towing remnants of the Gloucester beneath her with one harken.

'_And to prevent any unneeded interference…'_

The crimson sigil emblazoned on C.C.'s forehead flared into light as the Code-bearer rendered her captive unconscious with a quick application of psychic shock.

'_Two objectives have been completed…now to see to the third.'_

* * *

**Battlefield, Narita Mountains**

'_It's there…the shadow is there…what I must kill so I may LIVE!'_ echoed through the mind of Suzaku Kururugi as the mad champion cut a swath of destruction through the forces of the Black Knights, heading towards the location of another Servant. _'I'm going to kill…I'm going to kill you ALL!'_

"Out of my way!" he screamed, his face contorting with rage as the Lancelot's maser vibration sword struck again and again, the superior mobility of his unit allowing him to dodge the streams of bullets and shrapnel sent in his direction as he raced for his objective, allowing nothing to oppose him.

'_There,' _he sensed, seeing below him were a red unit with a silver claw and a red and black Burai with a silver helm down below. _'There she is…Zero!'_

In his Knightmare's hands, the VARIS spat fiery particle blasts at the unsuspecting units down below, aiming to exterminate these banes to his existence once and for all.

"The White Knightmare!" Kallen realized, instinctively sensing the danger of the projectiles and activating her Geass, redirecting the shell back at the Lancelot, where it blossomed against the Blaze Luminous, before bringing up her silver gauntlet and leaping right for the Lancelot, activating the radiant wave surger to act as a shield. "Don't think you have an edge just because you can fly!"

Both units streaked towards one another, aiming to destroy the other instantly, colliding in mid-air, with a wave of red flared against green, the Lancelot blocking the radiant wave surger with its Blaze Luminous before knocking the Guren back with its MVS.

_Whoosh!_

As if the pilot of the White Knightmare instinctively knew that the Guren was only equipped for short-range attacks, the Lancelot rose up into the sky once more, before plunging down upon the red Knightmare, intending to use its momentum to heighten the power of its assault.

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

Bullets lanced out towards the White Knightmare from the Burai on the ground, but though these were redirected, it was of little enough effect, given the thicker than usual armor on the Lancelot. All it did was cause an already mad Berserker to go insane with rage, focusing only on his target with sure intent to kill.

Down he raced towards his target, slashing his sword down with all his might—only for his opponent to jump nimbly up and aside at the last moment, evading the attack by inches—countering by extending the silver gauntlet and grabbing onto it the sword arm of the Lancelot.

"Now I've got you," Rider crowed triumphantly, activating her Radiant Wave Surger. "Die!"

The powerful surge of concentrated microwave radiation surged down through the point of contact, threatening to disrupt and destroy Berserker's Frame…but in his cockpit, Suzaku Kururugi simply jettisoned the arm and backed away, taking advantage of the split second of imbalance suffered by the Guren to—

_BOOM!_

—blow away its silver arm with the VARIS, depriving it of its primary offensive and defensive measure, before rising up into the air once more, locking its VARIS onto the main body of the Guren.

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

To distract the enemy Servant from his aim, Lelouch opened fire once more, his bullets striking not the Lancelot, but the White Knightmare's float unit, causing it to crash into the ground. Upon impact, Avenger continued to sustain his torrent of fire, but this hit the Lancelot's shields and was rendered ineffective—but still drawing Berserker's attention, who shifted and fired, aiming for Burai's chest.

With great difficulty, Lelouch was able to force it to barely dodge, though the left side of the Knightmare was still more or less destroyed.

'_Oh crap,'_ was the thought that went through Rider and Avenger's minds at that moment, just as Lancer's Gloucester burst onto the scene—and had its legs destroyed by a round from the VARIS.

"Now, all of you…die here!" the psychotic Servant screamed in mid-air, the VARIS tuned for maximum power.

'_There's no other choice,'_ Avenger thought, seeing the situation. _'If I don't use this last resort, we will all die here…'_

"Fine," Avenger shouted, reaching with his mind to all the other Servants present in the victinity. "If there is anyone who can go beyond my despair, then try to stop me. _**Implacable Alastor**_!"_'_

A mysterious bird like sigil blazed crimson in the air, and then everything disappeared in a flash of white.

**

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**Phantasm World of Avenger – "Implacable Alastor"**

When Servant Avenger next opened his eyes, he found himself in an all-too-familiar world, standing at the center of an abandoned battlefield, a desolate, reddish brown wasteland strewn with thousands of corpses, each impaled by a rusted sword. An oppressive land, where vengeful sprits could not be laid to rest, their voices screaming into the minds of those who dared trespass a record of their sins, of crimes that could not be washed away no matter how much blood was spilled.

Blood ran, and pooled and congealed, going _squish-squish-squish_ with every step, soaking into the thirsty, barren ground underneath a smoke filled sky through which cloudless lightning arcs from plume to plume to ground, the _sizzle-flash! Sizzle-flash! Sizzle-flash! _of electric violence sending shivers through the spine.

_Sizzle-Flash! Rumble…_

The smell of blood was thick in the air, and the air itself was full of heat, burning the skin. The land quaked ominously, as if a giant's teeth were being gnashed together, grinding against one another in frustration. It was a land of eternal twilight, where the last embers of the setting sun provide the only bits of illumination this place would ever know, filtered and diffused through smoke and ashes raining from the sky.

Here, Lelouch was not merely Lelouch, but Avenger in all his glory, a man seemingly clad all in blood, a shroud of black shadows shifting and moving with him, overwrought by lines of pulsing red. The exposed skin of his arms and face were tattooed with strange designs of liquid darkness, seeming to draw in all light, and in each of his hands were silver gunblades, their wicked cutting edges slick and dripping with fresh ichor. Emanating from him was a reek of blood and darkness, of soul-crushing despair that could swallow up the world…

Close to him stood Rider, clad in a skintight red and black tubedress, with an addition of detachable sleeves that serve more like leather gauntlets, and a red headband across her brow like the one she wore in combat. Her red hair was much longer here, spiky still, but flowing in waves to her waist, seeming to shift here and there as with a life of its own—hungry for heat, hungry for plundered lifeforce. And in her hands were a set of nail-like daggers, fastened to opposite ends of a single chain.

Servant Rider looked over to her ally and gave him a curt nod of thanks, knowing that he had saved her life—although whether or not they would survive this upcoming battle was another issue entirely. Back to back, they stood ready, prepared to confront what lay before them, as demon king's lips pulled back into a feral smile.

"Q-1, take the guise of Zero, and I will do the same…save for one detail," Avenger ordered, as his clothing shifted to that of his Master. "As Lancer is known to be a member of Cornelia's Royal Guard, have it be her face beneath the mask."

"With pleasure, Avenger," Rider acknowledged, taking on the guise of Zero.

'_We will win…because we must,' _Avenger resolved grimly_. 'Come what may, we will make a miracle happen, even against Berserker, the so-called strongest Servant! At least our advantage is that neither of the other Servants are allied to one another…Berserker is hostile to all, and Lancer…will be an interesting opponent.'_

In the distance, two figures approached these allies from opposite sides of the field, their indistinct forms obscured by smoke but growing clearer with each step.

One was a well built black haired man dressed in a sleeveless black and teal leather bodysuit, complemented by black vambraces of the same. In his hands the Knight held two long spears, one wrought of gold and the other of what seemed frozen blood, and he looked about the field uneasily, eyes fixing on the duo in the middle of the field.

Servant Lancer, the Knight of the Spear.

"_**AOWWUUAAAHHHHH!"**_

And then a bellow of distorted rage echoed through the field of slaughter, as an imposing warrior armored head to toe with heavy plate emerged from the haze, his body and face completely hidden beneath aphotic metal, his form wreathed with a haze of black mana, pulsing and flickering about him like flames. Unlike the other Servants, there was nothing in his hands, with a longsword slung across his back as his only apparent weapon—at least until he pulled two of the rusted swords from bloody corpses on the ground and took them into his hands, thus changing them into Noble Phantasms for his own personal use.

Servant Berserker, the Mad Warrior, supposed strongest of the seven champions of the Eden Vital War.

Four were gathered, but to escape, at least one had to die.

'_So be it.'_

They eyed one another warily in these strange surroundings, performing an on the spot analysis of strengths and weaknesses—or would have, but Berserker interrupted, charging with a thunderous roar.

"_**GUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!"**_

**

* * *

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**Battlefield, Narita Mountains**

From her vantage point above the battlefield, the immortal witch C.C. raised an eyebrow as she sensed the ripples in the World of C caused by several Servants entering phantasmagoria all at once, noting that it was her Servant Avenger who had invoked the Phantasm World.

"Very well then, Lelouch," the green-haired witch said quietly to herself. "You have made your choice…now you have to prevail over circumstance, over the outcome of your own actions."

As there was nothing more she could do for them, the leader of the Black Knights merely surveyed the area, finding that her Knights had more or less finished their work, with the only enemy unit left in operation—

'_Ah, the other White Knightmare…'_

—currently flying to oppose her, VARIS rifle in hand, though the bolts shot at her were rendered ineffective by the Shen Hu dodging, moving behind, then using its other available Slash Harken to grab the Lancelot Club and electrocute its power core, disabling it before setting it gently on the ground afterwards. It wouldn't do to destroy a potentially useful Knightmare Frame, after all...

'_Hmm…this battle is over.'_

With that, the Grey Witch opened a communications channel to all forces on the field, Britannian and Black Knight, as the Shen Hu floated towards the G-1 Mobile Base.

"Attention Britannian forces, this is Zero," the immortal spoke with a tone of bitter triumph. "The final remnants of the Britannian army deployed here have been destroyed, with both Knightmares of the Special Corps disabled. Furthermore, I have captured Princess Cornelia. As future fighting would only result in meaningless slaughter, I, Zero, request an immediate ceasefire to discuss your surrender."

* * *

**A/N: **So the physical side of Narita ends, though there is still the phantasmagoria component to deal with. Berserker vs Lancer vs Rider and Avenger. How will Britannia react to this crushing defeat? How will the battle in the Phantasm World play out? Is V.V. going to feel like he was hit by a meteor when his body is reconstructed in the World of C? Thanks for reading, and reviews are greatly appreciated!


	21. Beleaguered Morrigan

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

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* * *

**

**Phantasm World of Avenger – "Implacable Alastor"**

In a land of eternal suffering awash and blood and fire, where vengeful spirits roamed and the living corpses of those unjustly slain cried out for retribution, four Servants faced off in a battle that would end with at least one of their number dead. For the ground of this battlefield demanded to be fed with blood, the voices of victims past and present screaming into the minds of those who dared trespass a record of their sins, of crimes that could not be washed away no matter how much blood was spilled.

'_Only death awaits,' _they seemed to shriek, unwilling thoughts flowing into the minds of all present (save Avenger), their voices echoing, reverberating, jarring out of sync, playing merry havoc with rational thought. '_Too late. Too late. Too late. Scorned by one and scorned by all. Impure ones who must be cleansed, must atone for ever crime of man, every human treachery. Ruled by the inhuman, no conscience, grudge, fraud, kindness a lie, hope a lie, all things a lie, malignance shines bright, a great evil, the only truth. Atone, in death, ATONE.'_

Though Rider had developed a slight resistance to the _wrongness_ exuded by this place from the last time she had been here, even she was still assailed by a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea, as the world was tinted red. Lancer too, suffered from the effects of this world's power, reeling from the overwhelming force of human suffering compressed and forced upon his mind.

"_**GUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!"**_

Unfortunately, this spiritual pressure had absolutely no effect on the dark paladin Berserker, that mad force of destruction that had traded his meager scraps of sanity for overwhelming power. With two rusted swords in his armored hands, the mad warrior rushed for Avenger, knowing instinctively that the wraith of vengeance was the focal point of this illusionary world, and that if the demon were slain, Berserker would be free.

"Tch. Q-1, take care of Lancer," Avenger said, in the guise of Zero, his eyes studying the rather bad tactical situation. Granted, neither of the two enemies was allied to one another, but both were also likely quite powerful-certainly more powerful than Avenger, and both were moving towards their position. "I'll hold off Berserker."

"Got it," Rider replied shortly, also in the guise of Zero, chained daggers in her hand as she turned to face the Knight of the Spear. "Wait…you're going to fight Berserker? Your chances of winning—"

"They're slim," the wraith of vengeance answered, his jaw set with grim resolve, his expression indeterminable beneath his mirrored mask, as he brought his gunblades to bear on the advancing mad warrior. "However, they're not zero…as far as I'm concerned, that makes it the same as a 100% chance. I have a plan…so trust me, Q-1."

"Fine, but one thing," Kallen stated flatly, though under her mask, her expression softened momentarily. "Lelouch, don't die."

"Do you think it's that easy to kill a demon?" Avenger quipped, a predatory smile on his face hidden beneath his anti-heroic disguise. "Let's go."

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

Tracers of light blazed forth into darkness as the demon king opened fire, silver bullets tearing through the air as if spitting on Berserker's attempt to advance, only for the streaks of metal to be absorbed into the miasma about the black knight.

"_**AOWWUUAAAHHHHH!"**_

Moving with the great agility expected of one of her class, Rider dashed across the field towards her dual spear wielding foe, the Lancer Servant dressed in a sleeveless black and teal leather bodysuit, every muscle in her body tensing and exploding into action all at once as she broke into a headlong rush, attention fully focused on her foe, with a shimmering mirage of heat about her form like a multitude of snakes.

But the Knight of the Spear was ready for such an attack.

"Zero!" Lancer called out, his dual spears held defensively. "So you are responsible for this madness. For the sake of Princess Cornelia, I will strike you down here!"

"I won't lose, not here in Avenger's World!" Kallen snapped as she attacks, her snake-like hair surging forward with a wave of heat in an attempt to pull away her opponent's weapons, shooting forward and—

_Whirr!_

—vanishing as they touched a barrier formed by Lancer spinning his _**Illusion Breaker**_, the cursed spear of blood with the power to nullify bounded fields.

"Wha-?"

But Rider had no time to ponder why it failed—to counter a Lancer's longer reach, she had to close the distance, so she raced forward, the female Servant sent a torrent of fiery red racing forward towards the enemy, roiling and churning like a living creature, the heat in the air increasing without limit as she looked at her assailant, wishing to drain him without remorse.

_Slash! Fsh!_

Once again, it failed, with Illusion Breaker gliding through the red strands with speed and accuracy, dissolving them as if Lancer were merely reaping the air for harvest, counter-charging his opponent, with a second spear shooting forward to pierce Rider—

_Thunk! Clang!_

—only for her to dodge and deflect, using her chained daggers to counter the golden lance thrust towards her, the chain wrapping around it as she pulled—

"Guh!"

—and Lancer smirked, letting go, allowing Rider's forcible tug to do his work for him, driving the golden spear towards her gut.

"Auugh!"

_Whump! Squelch!_

A giant leap to the side, as Rider avoided the worst of the blow, though caught as it was in her daggers' chain, it was dragged along with her, slamming into her side, a strained voice escaping her mouth as pain shot through her like a knife. Thankfully, it had not been a fatal strike, so in an instant, the female Servant yanked the spear from her side and tossed it at Lancer with a flick, using her chained dagger as an impromptu launching mechanism.

_Swish!_

But to no effect, as it sailed past the Spearhead of the Empire, who merely batted the annoyance aside and pressed his attack, allowing Kallen no time to stop and recover, no time to pull away. Crimson lance against twin daggers, his blows rained down, executed to take his opponent's neck without remorse or hesitation, meant to kill quickly and efficiently without waste.

_Clang! Clash! Smash!_

The first attack aimed at the neck to sever the spine – blocked.

The second attack aimed at the heart to destroy the body – evaded.

The third aimed to disable a limb—blocked.

'_What…how is Zero able to block this while bleeding out?'_

The lance's movement was a point to begin with, and now was nothing but a blur. With her eyes, Rider could not discern the thrusts of the lance coming towards her—so she did the only thing she could: using her inferiority in reach and weaponry itself as a weapon to block Lancer's furious onslaught. By deliberately leaving openings in her stance, Kallen controlled where the attacks would land, allowing her opponent to believe he had the advantage.

'_My Origami technique is useless here, so I have to rely on daggers for now…'_

Sparks flew again and again, as the two combatants battled one another, straining themselves to the utmost. Lancer fought out of duty, Rider out of passion…both wished for victory.

_Clang! Clash! Crunch!_

Certainly, she would die if she could not dodge or move fast enough to block the attacks, but in a choice between risking instant death and taking on more injuries little by little, slowly becoming unable to fight—she preferred to risk instant death. She was already bleeding from an unhealable wound to the side of her gut, so any further wounds would be…problematic.

_Whump!_

Leaping backward, Rider flung one of her chained daggers towards Lancer's face—only for the crimson lance Illusion Breaker to come up and ensnare itself within the chains, the Servant following up this move with a vicious tug that wrenched the weapons from Rider's hands, leaving her defenseless.

'_Lancer…the natural enemy of Rider.'_

Thus Kallen Kozuki was forced to retreat, using a furious storm of snake-like hair to momentarily blind her opponent with sheer volume, the aura racing forward in greater volume than even Lancer could stop all at once, allowing her to pull away, vaulting backwards over a mound of bodies.

'_So I can't hurt him with my daggers, and my caging hair technique is useless,' _she thought to herself, looking inward for what to do next. If she kept running, it would only be a matter of time until she was caught, so— _'Only one choice then_.'

A series of esoteric hand gestures were performed. The blood dripping from Rider's open wound splattered out, droplets floating in midair between Rider and Lancer as the blood flowed into a magic circle.

"_**Mark Nemo!"**_ Rider shouted, invoking the true name of her final Noble Phantasm.

Abruptly, as if sensing the vast amounts of power within that pattern, Lancer broke off his pursuit, his body being pushed back as Rider's form was surrounded by a crimson vortex of heat and fire, the summoning circle duplicating itself again and again, blazing with light as a massive shadow erupted from the ground below.

'Twas a monstrous inhuman weapon standing over 5 meters tall, wrought of congealed shadow and blood like a fallen angel stripped of its wings, armed with a jet black katana and numerous remote rocket anchors called Blonde Knives (similar to Slash Harkens), capable of piercing even the most powerful of armors. This was _**Mark Nemo, **_Rider'sgreatest Noble Phantasm, an ultimate fantasy, the crystallization of humanity's fear of an inhuman enemy.

Up until now, this weapon of Rider's had gone unused, and yet it was the weapon that defined her as a member of that class of Servant. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Caster – these were all chosen for their proficiency in a certain weapon. The qualification for Rider however, was excellence in guiding one's chosen mount—with Kallen's as a manifestation of the ultimate Knightmare.

"Die, Britannian!" she called from within its cockpit, launching one Blonde Knife after another towards Lancer as the avatar of Nightmares thundered across the battlefield with speed belied by its size, leaping forward, katana raised to slash the unfortunate Servant in two.

_Whoosh! Thwack!_

Sensing danger, Lancer jumped to the side, rolling out of the way of Rider's attack, even as the Blonde Knives chase after, one knocking his crimson spear from his hand so that he stood defenseless. Guilford was incredulous at the sight of this Knightmare Frame, one unlike anything he had ever seen. No landspinners? Slash Harkens that moved to engage enemies automatically, each drilling rapidly to pierce defenses or destroy weapons? Truly…this was a monster out of legend, and even a Servant stood no chance against it.

'…_Unless one can match the monster power for power, for where there is fear, there are also those who face it with honor!'_

That realization came into Lancer's mind as he tried futilely to avoid the death streaking towards him, his zig-zagging allowing him to avoid immediately being crushed, but losing him ground against this monstrous foe.

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Crunch!_

More Blonde Knives crashed into the ground, slashing towards him with their drill tips—only to be repulsed by a summoning circle of golden light that appeared around the Spearhead of the Empire, as he invoked his own Noble Phantasm.

"_**Regalia!"**_

Light exploded outwards in a shower of sparks, momentarily blinding all those on the field as Lancer was drawn into the cockpit of this second mount, a construct similar in nature to a Knightmare, but taking on the shape of a winged centaur.

This was _**Regalia**_, the crystallization of the ideal of chivalry, the greatest virtue of those who bore the title of Knight, alluding to the time lancers were mounted horsemen. In legends, it had always been brave knights and men at arms that faced down inhuman enemies, avoiding the terrible swift blows of their opponents, countering with courage and confidence in their marital skill.

Like Mark Nemo, this Knightmare did not possess Landspinners, its four legs and wings instead enabling it to move more swiftly across rugged terrain or even to fly, allowing it to more effectively strike from range with its hip-mounted auto-cannons, its wing mounted slash-harkens, or bodily, using its golden drill-lance capable of piercing the heavens.

"What…you have a Knightmare too?" Rider hissed out, already moving to cleave Lancer's new toy in twain.

_Swish!_

But the Mark Nemo's katana cut only air, as the Regalia blurred into motion, soaring into the sky, flying out of range like a giant arrow of light, rising high into the clouds before turning about, speeding for the Knightmare wrought of shadow—which leaped to oppose it.

_Clang!_

Two Knightmares clashed in the sky, silhouettes intersecting at great speeds, coming together and separating, Slash Harkens against Blonde Knives, sword against spear.

_Whirr! Whirr! Crash! Rippp!_

Time and again, they surged towards one another, Regalia swooping down, weapons blazing, while Mark Nemo leaped about, dodging, flipping, maneuvering in midair as it brought its blades to bear—and missed as Regalia pulled away, with Blonde Knives shooting after, aiming to ensnare one of the wings—

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

—only for the autocannons mounted to Regalia's hip to open fire, forcing the Mark Nemo to twist away to avoid critical damage.

In this battle without footholds, even the formidable Mark Nemo was on the defensive, as Regalia could fly, thus giving it the advantage, with Rider's frame only able to strike its enemy by kicking off the cursed hill, trampling corpses underfoot.

'_Damn…what is it with enemy Servants and flying Knightmares?' _Rider thought to herself. In both the physical world and phantasmagoria, she had apparently been given a Knightmare that was excellent and highly mobile—while on the ground—while enemy Servants had obtained flying Knightmares capable of attacking from greater range. Even here, her mount did not let her fly through the sky, leaving her at the same disadvantage as she had faced when dueling the Lancelot frame.

_Clang! Crash!_

To prove the point, Lancer's frame attacked from both sides and from above, launching arcing assaults from every direction, unbound by gravity. Rider's countered with dodges, bursts of speed, acrobatics, seeking an angle from which she could assail the enemy unhindered—but finding none. Regalia was unconstrained by the need for motion in a straight line, instead swooping, arcing, curving away, its ranged weapons continuously threatening the Mark Nemo in a circus of death invisible to normal beings.

_Whoom! _

Kallen sensed danger just in time for Mark Nemo to narrowly avoid being skewered by Regalia's drill lance, dodging as her unit did best. For there was a limit to how much she could block Lancer's attacks in mid-air, otherwise risking being flung back to the ground—her leaps and attacks are the difference between rising until she loses her speed and an uncontrolled freefall.

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

From the wings of Regalia, hanging up in the air, slash harkens shoot out, followed by tracers of fire from an autocannon, as Mark Nemo zig-zag-zigs to avoid it, jumping up towards the flying Knightmare with determination—only for the winged centaur to pull away once more.

Beyond a certain range, pursuit was impossible—there was simply no way Kallen could destroy the flying Knightmare from the ground, at least without a ranged weapon.

Still, even in this inferior position, Rider kept her cool, awaiting a chance to counter, awaiting a mistake in the enemy's plan that would give her an opening to attack. For even a powerful Knightmare like this one could surely be destroyed.

"I'm surprised, Zero," the voice of Guilford boomed from above. "You are not as difficult of an opponent as I expected."

In response Kallen only set her jaw, holding her sword in a defensive guard.

'_Avenger is counting on me to win this battle,'_ the redhead thought to herself. _'The resistance would not have made it this far without him—so I can't fail now. For his sake. For the sake of all those who have died. For the sake of Japan!'_

"But is there any meaning in that?" the Spearhead of the Empire continued. "You have no chance of victory…so disappear now, for the sake of—_Princess Cornelia_!"

Lancer's last words sounded strained, panicked for some reason, which should not be, given that he was in a much superior position at the moment. Still, it was to Kallen's relief (and frustration) that Regalia broke away from battle with Mark Nemo, soaring high into the air, disappearing from view for a moment as threads of lightning gathered from the clouds around onto its relentlessly spinning drill lance so that it glowed like a fresh born star, Regalia's entire frame swathed in blazing blue fire as the drill spun faster faster ever faster, almost seeming to grow to become larger than the mecha itself as it took in power from the air around.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, Lelouch vi Britannia (in the guise of Zero) was having a rather difficult time against Berserker, as one might expect when the weakest of Servants challenged the strongest.

'_This is rather ironic,'_ Avenger thought to himself, _'as the sub-commander of the Black Knights, I find myself having to face a black knight.'_

Without warning, Berserker hurled the two rusted swords he had acquired earlier at his foe, the two flying straight and true—to miss Avenger and—

_BOOM!_

—_explode_ in gouts of magical energy as they flew past him.

"Guh!"

There was a sickening _squish_-_thud_, as Avenger was lifted off his feet, hurled through the air, and…landed on his feet, wincing in pain. Had he not been undergone extremely painful training from hell from his immortal master, (who was close enough to a demon to make it a literal hell), he would likely have fallen, but the exiled prince forced himself to keep moving with sheer willpower.

'_If Berserker catches up to me…' _the wraith swallowed the rest of his thought as he retreated backwards, his two gunblades _**Reason**_ and _**Atonement**_continuously discharging a storm of metal flechettes in an attempt to at least annoy (and slow down) the heavily armored knight, but to no avail. _'His speed is unexpectedly high for such a heavily armored warrior…'_

Indeed, Berserker was in his sights, advancing like a raging wind…barely pausing in its implacable onslaught as the mad Servant picked up two more rusted swords from the ground, turning pieces of Avenger's World itself into weapons to be used against the world's creator.

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

Once again, the demon king opened fire, unleashing a wave of silver bullets towards Berserker's helmet, torso, arms, legs…hoping to land a lucky strike on a weak point and do some damage. But the metal slugs were not even a nuisance to the mad warrior, not even reaching its armor as it was absorbed into the thick fog that surrounded the black knight.

"_**NUAAAHHHHHHH!"**_

It would have been easy for Avenger to give into the fear he felt, as he realized just how powerful his opponent was—but this was his world, a world of anger, a world of despair, a world where those that suffered demanded vengeance.

'_And I will not fail, for their sake…for my sake…for the sake of destroying Britannia!'_ the wraith of vengeance resolved, tightening his grip on his gunblades as he covered his retreat with shrapnel. His face was grim, his heart heavy…but his chance of victory was not zero. _'For if the king does not move, the people will not follow.'_

_Whoosh!_

Once more, rusted swords were hurled towards Avenger, who jumped back—this time successfully avoiding most of the force as they exploded, releasing white-hot shrapnel that burned into his flesh with a sizzle and a small tempest of magical energy.

_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

It seemed that Berserker would keep up the barrage of exploding swords as the black knight advanced, turning objects into Noble Phantasms, and changing those impromptu Noble Phantasms into Broken Phantasms, his _**Knight of Honor**_ ability essentially allowing him to create these highly dangerous weapons at will as long as there was something that he could grab onto.

_Whoosh! Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack! _

The black knight's tosses and hurls were unrefined, unaimed, unguided, but still, they did enough damage, given the force and magical energy he imbued into each exploding weapon. An unstoppable juggernaut, Berserker would kill his opponent eventually, regardless of what was done—thus there was no need to aim, no need to refine technique unless necessary, as these were things that humans used to compensate for weakness, and weakness was the one thing that Berserker did not have.

Lelouch, on the other hand, was all too human, and the term "weakness" was fairly a synonym for him physically. Hence, he had become an expert of many specializations to counter for this—including tactics and the ability to think about multiple factors on the battlefield at once, his mind's eye allowing him to calmly analyze situations and the enemy's ability in spite of danger to himself, considering of all possible actions in a particular situation.

_Crack-a-crack-a crack-a crack!_

Here, he was demonstrating his prowess by using his gunblades to shoot Berserker's impromptu projectiles out of the air, causing them to detonate in a storm around the advancing black knight. True, even these exploding projectiles did not manage to damage the fallen paladin, but at least they disrupted its aim by clouding its senses.

'_No matter how strong Berserker's attacks are…if he cannot hit me, his strength is useless. On the other hand…'_ the wraith of vengeance thought, scrabbling backwards as fast as his legs could manage, although that wasn't enough to keep the mad warrior from coming forward. He was perfectly aware that the directly offensive weapons in his arsenal were his gunblades – weapons which had absolutely no effect on Berserker, and that if he was caught, dealing with Berserker in hand to hand combat would be worse than a bad joke for him.

'_No…10 meters now'_

Against an opponent as relentless as a storm, Avenger retreated, vaulting backwards over a mound of bodies, flechette rounds screaming for Berserker's last known location—this time towards the cluster of swords around the insane Servant, shattering them so that Berserker would have no further weapon to use against the demon king.

—at least, that was the intended outcome of Avenger's maneuver, as he was _not_ expecting the armored Servant to bend down and _rip_ the limbs from a fallen corpse, infusing _those _with magical energy, turning them into black metal versions of their former selves before redoubling his speed.

'…_that's…not good,' _ Avenger mentally choked, retching at this display of wonton violence. _'So this is Berserker…_'

_Splash! Thud! _

The two limbs were hurled through the air, landing at his feet and exploding once again, this time knocking the demon king to the ground, as Berserker closed the distance at last.

_Schwing!_

Out of nowhere, two rusted swords slashed at his prone form, and Lelouch twisted aside as the sharp black edges cut through the space he was in a moment ago. In a flash, he was back on his feet, trying to defend as best he could against—

_Clang! Whump!_

Avenger raised his gun blades, keeping the powerful blow from severing his head from his body, but was flung backwards onto the blood soaked battlefield once more, with the armored juggernaut called Berserker coming towards him like inevitable death.

"Guh!"

The point of the fallen paladin's sword was thrust through Avenger's arm, the dull sound of metal scraping bone informing the Servant of his impending end.

"Hah—kuh," the wraith of vengeance panted, trying to protect his vitals with furious slashing from the gunblade in his usable hand, firing a steady stream of bullets at point blank range—which again, did not even touch Berserker's armor.

_Squelch!_

"Auuughhhh!"

The sound of cutting and agony echoed through the battlefield, as with an annoying sound, another blade pierced through his gut, slashing through an artery. Lelouch's vision was blocked by the spray of blood from his body, falling back as Berserker came at him at a speed he couldn't see.

_Slice!_

A rusted blade was jammed into the demon king's leg, rendering him immobile, as a voice that didn't seem Avenger's own escapes his mouth. He could not retreat, and _thud! _an arm was damaged from blocking the blow.

The demon king could not oppose for much longer, losing the energy he needed to live on, his clothes ripped, his flesh torn and bleeding. At this point, his body was moving purely from a desire not to die, limping backwards away from the presence of death as—

_Crunch!_

"UGHHHHH!"

With the terrible strength of a whirlwind, a roundhouse kick smashed into Avenger's stomach, blowing Lelouch's body into the air, as the armored knight leaps up and smashes him into the ground with a gauntleted punch, cracking ribs, his body broken and bleeding on the ground below.

Slowly, biding its time, the armored knight approached to finish the job, and with each step the foe took, Lelouch could feel the world throbbing as if he was in the stomach of a living being, already being digested.

'_Am I...going to die like this? Like this, going to die selfishly, unable to save anything?'_

A few of his ribs were crushed, blood seeps in torrents from his side—but his body was not yet fully destroyed, and his limbs were still attached, if broken, so…forcing his numb arms and legs, the Servant stood up defiantly.

From the beginning, Avenger could not beat Berserker, not in direct combat. He could not even be a match. As the weakest of Servants, he knew that all too well—but even so, his actions had not been a mistake. The pain in his body, his grievous wounds—this and more he accepted as the price of a victory, the price he must pay to be Zero's sword.

At the agony searing through his body with every move, a predatory smile crossed the wraith of vengeance's face.

_'The tasks at hand have been completed.'_

Standing as straight as he can, Lelouch looked upon the dark paladin, as if to sear into his mind the form of the greatest Servant, while his lips shaped two simple words:

"_**Verg Avesta."**_

An ability that could only be used as a counterattack, this was one of Avenger's two trump cards, returning to an opponent all the damage inflicted upon him.

"_**AOWWUUAAAHHHHH!"**_

At long last, on the very brink of death, Avenger had damaged Berserker grievously, as the armored titan charged, madness only enhanced by the pain, slamming the weakest Servant to the ground in its thrashing, so that Avenger's broken ribs punctured lungs, bruised organs, ruptured veins as his hemorrhaging intensified.

With Avenger seemingly finished, Berserker sought any other remaining targets, beginning to trample off in the direction of Mark Nemo when—

"Help me," a proud, but broken voice called softly in the momentary lull. "Help me, Guilford, my knight…"

With one last move available to him, Avenger had invoked his ability _**"Not for One's Own Glory**_", taking on the appearance of a badly wounded Second Princess Cornelia, gambling on what he knew of Lancer as the ever loyal royal guard.

"—Princess Cornelia!" boomed from above, a clear indication that Lancer had heard the soft message from within his Knightmare frame, as the autocannon fired, tracers of fire lancing towards Berserker, who growled in anger as he spun his swords to block.

It was at that moment that Regalia broke away from battle with Mark Nemo, rising high into the air, its silhouette disappearing from view for a moment as threads of lightning gathered from the clouds onto its relentlessly spinning drill lance so that it glowed like a fresh born star, flowing from the drill to swathe the winged centaur in blazing blue fire as the drill spun on, faster faster faster, with a cone of light forming ahead of the Knightmare itself, becoming a giant arrow of power that would strike Berserker and annihilate the mad one completely.

Like a bolt from the heavens, Regalia surged towards the form of Berserker, launching a hail of blades that surrounded the fallen knight, trapping the mad one in place as it drew inexorably closer, plummeting towards the ground, bleeding off vast amounts of magical energy as its drill lance spun, swirling without limit.

"_**GUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!"**_

Sensing the danger, the mad warrior tossed aside his impromptu weapons and drew his true blade, the infamous longsword overflowing with black light as his own form pulsed with flames of dark magical energy. About the sword wrapped a frenzied wind, shrieking of plague and pandemonium, of wailing, carnage, despair, setting it aflame, drawing mana from the bloody world to counter the fire of the descending Knightmare.

Sword in hand, the armored knight Berserker faced down the descending Knightmare, ready to destroy it as he had everything else that had come before.

But Regalia pulled away, spiraling up up up into the sky as if rising to strike the moon, gaining altitude for a final dive before arcing and turning towards earth—becoming an arrow of light aimed straight for Berserker.

'_For Princess Cornelia's sake, I will not fail!'_

_WHOOSH!_

With fire enveloping its form, Regalia descended as a surge of light, growing large enough to destroy not only Berserker, but the entire area where the armored one was standing. From this mighty attack, this certain kill giga drill…technique, there could be no possible escape.

A drill that could pierce the heavens flashed at Berserker like a thunderbolt!

But in Berserker's hands was an assembly of mankind's despair, the greatest of the demonic swords, a dark light corrupting all that it touched.

"_**Arondight."**_

A deep, dark growl, it was the first word that Berserker has spoken since entering the Phantasm World: the true name of his Noble Phantasm. With one word, he released its curse upon the world, terrible power surging out as a line of corrupted shadowlight, a blade of darkness that annihilated everything it touched, vaporizing Regalia and Lancer in one mighty blow, before soaring up into the sky and cutting through the clouds.

Said to have existed as the sword of Lancelot of the Lake, Arondight was the symbol of ultimate betrayal of ideal, of self, of country. The strongest of corrupted Noble Phantasms, it was Berserker's symbol of despair, and yet the source of his greatest power.

"_**AOWWUUAAAHHHHH!"**_

_Crash!_

The blades that surrounded Berserker were knocked aside, as once again the mad warrior took to the field of battle, striding ponderously towards the Mark Nemo—which had moved to protect the fallen form of Avenger, whose disguise now dissolved to save energy.

Once more the name _**"Arondight"**_ was uttered, the curse of ultimate betrayal lancing out to erase both Rider and Avenger from existence when—

"_**Fragarach!"**_

The shadowlight dispersed, disappearing as if the attack had never been launched in the first place, with a large jagged hole appearing suddenly in Berserker's chest, a mortal wound that struck the heart and other organs. With a thud, it was the mad warrior's turn to slump to the ground, his vital essence draining away as his body dissolved into dust, with his helm crumbling to reveal the face of Suzaku Kururugi, madness leaving his eyes in the last moments of his life.

Quietly, the black paladin looked over to its killers, a phantom pang of remorse but satisfaction in his chest as he saw the identity of the broken body of the one who had bested him.

"I should have guessed you would be the one to grant my wish, Lelouch," the now freed Suzaku chuckled softly, his voice calm in the dying twilight. "Thank you…for killing me."

With that, his body broke apart into motes of light, as the Phantasm World itself rumbled, flickered, began to fade in the aftershock of the battle, with both survivors disappearing from the land of eternal suffering as suddenly as they had arrived.

_**

* * *

**_

**JLF Observation Post Number Five, Narita Mountains**

It was to twinges of phantom pain that Kallen Kozuki at last came to, stirred from her long bout of unconsciousness with a sense of weary satisfaction. This had been the first time she had been forced into fighting in phantasmagoria after a long battle in the physical world, and the combined effects were unpleasant. Still, at least she had fared better than Avenger, who was—

"Oh, so you're awake, Rider," spoke a voice from beside her, as Kallen opened her eyes to find the figure of Zero standing over her, much like the first time she had emerged from Phantasm World. "I've been waiting, as we have a meeting with the Britannian Governor General in about half an hour."

"Thanks," Servant Rider groaned painfully, feeling her muscles protest as she lifted herself up to a sitting position. Then Zero's words sunk in, leaving Rider somewhat confused. "A meeting? What for?"

"To discuss terms of surrender," the immortal witch replied nonchalantly, causing Kallen's eyes to bulge as the Servant looked over at the masked leader of the Black Knights.

"What?ǃ What do you mean—" she began to sputter, but was cut off.

"The terms for _their_ surrender, I should say," C.C. amended, as Kallen's jaw dropped in an expression of utter shock.

"You…you don't mean…"

"Yes," Zero confirmed, giving a sharp nod of her head. "The Black Knights stand victorious, having destroyed the Britannian forces, disabled the White Knightmares, and captured Princess Cornelia. And with your victory in Phantasmagoria, our victory is complete."

Tentatively, Rider looked about to cabin to find that Avenger was still out cold, his chest barely moving, his body frozen in a deep trance.

"And Avenger?" Kallen asked quietly, wondering when her comrade in arms would recover.

"His wounds were rather worse than yours this time, and it was in his Phantasm World that the fighting took place, so…" C.C. tilted her head, considering how to phrase her words, and then sighed. "It will be at least a day or two before he wakes up, if not more."

"I see," Rider said at last, looking over at the exiled prince.

'_Devious as ever, Lelouch Lamperouge…but you allowed us to win. Thank you, Avenger.'_

"Well then, shall we to the meeting?" Zero asked, raising an eyebrow behind her mirrored mask.

"Why not?"

**

* * *

**

**G-1 Mobile Base**

In a now vacated G-1 Mobile Base, representatives of the Black Knights, the Britannian government, and what remained of the Japanese Liberation Front were meeting to discuss the terms of surrender the Black Knights would mete out. Those attending from each side were as follows: Lloyd Asplund, Cecile Croomy, and Euphemia li Britannia (Britannians); Zero, Kallen Kozuki, and Kaname Ohgi (Order of Black Knights); and Kyoshiro Tohdoh from the Japanese Liberation Front.

"You want…what?ǃ" Governor General Lloyd Asplund nearly wailed, leaping out of his chair with a look of utter horror on his face—and then was yanked back down by Cecile Croomy, who had been recovered from the Lancelot Club during the ceasefire.

"The Seventh Generation Knightmare that was developed under your direction was called the Lancelot, was it not?" Zero said, more of a statement than a question. "As part of our terms, we ask that that Knightmare be handed over to the Black Knights as prizes of war, along with its support trailers, and the other military hardware we have captured here. You may keep the Lancelot Club, as it was not directly used against us."

"…you can't be serious," the Earl of Pudding spoke, trying to make the leader of the Black Knights see his version of reason, only for the even stare of the mirrored visor to unnerve him. "That Knightmare is…"

"You currently lack a devicer to operate said Knightmare Frame, as Warrant Officer Kururugi was killed in combat," Zero stated flatly. True, it had been combat in Phantasmagoria, rather than in the physical world, but she saw no need to mention that. "We would be more than happy to send you copies of the combat data we obtain, as you have been kind enough to send us so much information in the past. And we will allow you to have the remains of the Knight Giga Fortress Siegfried, if you will promise never to deploy it against the Black Knights."

As the second part of Zero's statement, the sour expression on Lloyd's face cleared up, with the man looking positively intrigued. The giant orange assault craft was indeed one of the things that had piqued the scientist's curiosity, and to get his hands on it…

"Alright, I suppose I can agree to that," the scientist conceded, his eyes lighting up as he considered just what he might be able to do with the remains of that fortress. Perhaps another Sutherland could be upgraded with those parts into…a Sutherland Sieg?

It was here that Sub-Viceroy Euphemia shot a _look_ at the Governor General, wondering just how much he had passed on.

"You will not harm the civilians, I hope? There are many behind this mobile base, evacuated here from all over the region," the Third Princess spoke up, challenging the immortal. "Not to mention field hospitals."

"Euphemia li Britannia," the Geass Witch gently replied. "I have no intention of hurting unarmed civilians, I assure you, be they Britannian, Japanese, or anything else. I do not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but I will not be a party to massacres. We, the Black Knights, will even assist in the rescue operation—asking of course, that you place a moratorium on action against us, military or otherwise, for at least the next month. In addition, any members of the Britannian military forces that participated in this operation—which includes yourself and Princess Cornelia li Britannia—are not to take up arms against, or lead troops against the Black Knights for at least a period of one year—I believe that is standard for parole of prisoners of war, correct?"

"Agreed, and that is so," Lloyd conceded, nodding tiredly. He didn't care too much for combat himself, and he knew that if he didn't agree, Cecile would probably hit him. "You are being…rather generous in your victory, are you not? What is your aim?"

"I see no reason to impose overly harsh terms, as that would make me no better than the Emperor of Britannia, the man who is my enemy," C.C. responded, causing the others to eye her with curiosity. "My eventual aim in Area 11 is the creation of a free and independent Japan—not a special zone where the Japanese have some rights, but a nation restored and recognized as independent. To that end, will you and the Four Holy Swords not join with us, Kyoshiro Tohdoh?"

"…we will discuss this, certainly," the one styled "Tohdoh of Miracles" allowed. "What of the Japanese Liberation Front?"

"As you have seen from the results of battle, as an organization, you are finished," the immortal replied without malice. "Whether you will join us or not is up to you."

Euphemia looked at Zero then, recalling the masked woman's exchange with the pilot of the Knight Giga Fortress.

"You mentioned that the pilot of the orange assault craft was the murderer of Lady Marianne vi Britannia," the pink-haired princess mentioned, her lips pursing in thought. "As well as that he was immortal…what did you mean?"

"That is my other great enemy, V.V," C.C. replied from behind her mask. "He and Clovis worked together to found the Code-R project in which many humans were experimented on in an attempt to duplicate the secret of immortality, studying human augmentation and other advanced technologies, like those in the Knight Giga Fortress."

"Immortality…?" Euphemia asked blankly. "But that's…"

"I see, how interesting," Lloyd murmured, his attention completely captured by the immortal's words. "Yes, that does match with the research data I was able to uncover. But how do you know of it…were you an escaped subject of this experiment?"

"No," Zero answered at once. "I am not a being created by that experimental project. Rather, I am the sworn enemy of both V.V. and his greatest supporter, Charles zi Britannia. If you wish to know more, Earl Asplund…then join me."

"A tempting offer, ve—"

"Governor General," a voice blared over the intercom. "Our forces in Kyushu are reporting an invasion by the Chinese Federation."

"It seems that events have gotten ahead of us, Earl Asplund. Let us continue these negotiations after we deal with the invasion, shall we?" asked Zero, receiving a round of nods from everyone at the table. "After all, I wish for a free and independent Japan, not for a simple change in masters. However, may I propose a joint operation with the Black Knights to repulse the invaders when the time comes?"

"Would I pass up a chance to obtain data for the Lancelot and my other Knightmares?"

**

* * *

**

**Fukuoka Base, Kyushu**

Dozens of pyramid-shaped mobile fortresses floated out of the rain and wind and fog of war, their cannons blasting fiery death at the Britannian garrison at Kyushu, their layered decks covered with hundreds of Gun-Ru Knightmares apiece, raining destruction on the defending fortresses, VTOLs and ships that came to meet them.

Several of the massive landships had already made it to shore, where they disgorged their cargo of troops, knightmares, and mobile surface to air missile launchers, swarming over the island with the sheer weight of numbers, overwhelming any who opposed them.

The leader of this first strike squad, Li Xingke, was himself on the field of battle, piloting a Gekka Pre-Production Test-Type that had been sent to the Chinese Federation by the Maharajah, a blue unit designed to test the viability of a mass-production version of the Guren.

_Whirr!_

Armed with an elongated, heated chain-sword in one hand, it slashed through those Knightmares foolish enough to challenge it from the right, as—

_Sizzle! Fwoosh!_

—the radiant wave surger mounted in its left arm was used as an impromptu shield when necessary, otherwise being used to destroy the old Glasgows sent against it, melting them into useless lumps of metal.

'_For the honor of the Tianzi and the Chinese Federation, we will capture Area 11.'_

_

* * *

**A/N:** The Battle of Narita draws to an end in its entirety. The groundwork for shifting alliances is being laid, and the Chinese Federation invades. Thanks for reading, and reviews are greatly appreciated!_


	22. Discordian Rhapsody

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Undisclosed Location**

Quietly, eyes were slowly opened, and like emerging from mud, the consciousness awakened from a deep and fevered sleep, with Lelouch brought out of his reverie by the soft _pitter-patter_ of raindrops falling upon his head. Once more he was alone, and in an unfamiliar place, standing in an open gazebo outside a grand citadel, his tousled black hair and robes of blood and fire rustling in the wind as the Servant looked out across the moonlit sea, drinking in the twinkling lights of a city long lost to time.

His once vibrant purple eyes were clouded with thought and fatigue as the events of the turbulent day finally took their toll, and at the last Avenger sighed, pondering what had transpired as the rain sizzled and hissed on striking his garments.

'_So, Narita was a victory for us,' _the young man mused silently, the knowledge of it somehow already in his mind. '_Both in the physical world, and in phantasmagoria, where two Servants were defeated.'_

Indeed, he himself had vanquished the mad warrior Berserker through trickery and not a little bit of deception, though Lelouch didn't especially feel like a hero, as his heart was heavy from the knowledge that he had ended a friend's life with his own hands, turning the power of the sword of despair upon its wielder to gouge out Suzaku Kururugi's heart.

'_I…killed him. Without hesitation, without remorse…I struck down my oldest friend. Not that I had a choice in the matter, since if I had not killed him, he would have killed Kallen and myself. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.'_

Not that it made the exiled prince feel any better about the experience, nor about the fact that the one who had tried to kill him so many times had been his childhood friend, who had apparently wanted to die this entire time, _thanking_ him for striking the final blow.

'_That is Avenger's role, to be the instrument of retribution, a Wraith of Vengeance who protects the weak from the strong—I know the theory well enough, but…'_

Maybe that was why the Servant had exiled himself to this place, while others had returned to the world of reality, so he would have time to gather his thoughts, steeling himself for what was to come as he stood in the cleansing rain, his mouth open in a soundless scream.

_Clip-clop-splish-splosh-clip-clop!_ Came the sound of quiet footsteps from behind him, as the Servant turned about in curiosity—coming face to face with a green-haired woman with golden eyes, dressed in a loose flowing dress of white with a pale blue underskirt.

"Should the Servant of Zero be in a place like this?" the Reaper in White asked gently, as she approached Avenger. "You never do learn to stop intruding in other people's minds, do you?"

"You…" Lelouch whispered, narrowing his eyes at this personification of the Geass Witch. "What is this place? I can sense it is like a phantasm world, but…"

But the Keeper of Memory merely chuckled as the rain washed over her, soaking into her garments. Slowly, she walked past the Servant to gaze out at the sea, watching as bursting cumulonimbus deposits of moisture and pregnant monsoon winds broke formation, the ground and ocean below flinching with the shock of a deluge of myriad impactors detonating in the fullness of a microsecond, ephemeral as any display of weather, or in time.

"This place is the citadel of the long lost isle of mists, Hy Brazil, what mankind has written and wondered of in its many guises, such as Avalon," the immortal spoke softly after some moments, eyes distant, expression almost wistful, as if recalling something long passed out of time. "But I suppose you would better know the land across the bay – the lost continent of Atlantis."

It was truly a land of waters, as rain poured down in the night, pale moonbeams skipping from liquid prism crystal displays hurtling in thrall of gravity merrily plunging to destruction's call, on an all-too-brief voyage on the refined road of absolution, as an eerie melody wafted from the city on the wind.

"Atlantis?" Avenger repeated, somewhat skeptical, though the Servant was well aware that he was in no position to question the Witch's words. It was she who had given him his power, after all, and within whose mind he apparently had a habit of intruding into. "So you…"

"This was a memory from my life before I entered in a contract of my own…a rare day of moonlit rain," the Geass Witch replied, a touch of longing on her features. "From before the first Eden Vital War."

With a sigh, the Servant turned about and moved to stand beside the immortal, glancing at her—then at the city in the distance.

"So long ago, you were a Champion yourself?" Avenger asked, wondering exactly what had happened in that war. Obviously, since C.C. was still around, she must have won, but—if that were the case…

"Nothing quite so formal, I'm afraid," the green-haired witch murmured. "The system of Champions was not yet set up at that time…instead, it was an all out war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies, ending with the destruction of a legendary land. There was but one survivor…"

"Is that what you meant by the power of the king leading to loneliness?" Lelouch vi Britannia asked of the his master. "You were recalling something from your experience?"

A dark, throaty laugh this time, as the immortal Code-bearer faced her Servant, looking him over with a tinge of curiosity.

"You might say that, Lelouch Lamperouge," C.C. answered woodenly, shaking her head. "I have been alive for nearly 12,000 years—I have seen civilizations rise and fall, ruled as queen, walked as commoner, watched as observer, intervening when necessary. I have seen the best and worst of what humanity may offer, have been a figure of myth and legend. And yet I walk this world alone, bound by different rules, a different time, a different life."

"I take it you've had many names then?" the Servant thought to quip, bringing a small smile to the immortal's lips.

"You might say that, but then, you've had a few yourself," the Geass Witch rejoined, "Haven't you, Avenger?"

From somewhere down below, the song in an unknown tongue changed from triumphant to mournful all at once, and curious, Lelouch strained his ears to try and locate where the voice was coming from. It was distant, and hard to pick out, but his musically trained hearing (courtesy of life in the royal court), told him that it was coming from somewhere near the pier below.

'_There, in the distance through the hazy veil of rain. A green-haired figure dressed in white sits on the pier singing…legs dangling over the water, holding a bunch of hydrangea blossoms.'_

"Yes, that's the me that existed in this memory, Lelouch," the immortal commented, following her Servant's gaze to her younger self. "A young girl who once dreamed of being able to watch over her land, though in the end, she was only able to save herself, as her home sank beneath the waves."

"C.C., you…"

"Yes, I knew the burden of this power, and yet I gave it to you, cheating you of the life you would have lived…don't you hate me for it, Avenger?" the Grey Witch asked with wry amusement. "If you did, you wouldn't be the first to curse my existence…far from it."

Lelouch did not reply directly, his attention focused on the singing child in the distance.

"There was once a girl who took up the power of the king, wishing to protect everyone," the Champion murmured, looking back at the immortal that had chosen him as her sword. "A girl who saw what the future would hold for her, who knew that at the end of her path, there laid only inevitable, solitary ruin. And yet she accepted that burden without hesitation, without turning from her chosen path, running onwards towards her ever distant utopia. She made her choice—as I did, and because of that, we both could take a step forward. So…how could I hate you, C.C, when you carry a burden far worse than mine?"

The Keeper of Memory blinked at that, her lips twisting uneasily even as she felt a slight bit of warmth within her chest. In the rain-drenched moonlight, she seemed almost fragile.

"You are being unfair, Avenger," came the quiet reply. "You know my past, how I am known as Reaper in White and Unyielding Shadow…yet you still continue to come into my mind as if it will bring you solace. You know of all the lives I've taken, the people I was unable to save, but…"

The immortal sighed restlessly, running her fingers through her waist-length hair.

"Even so, my immortal witch, I cannot hate you," the Servant answered simply, giving the immortal a ghost of a smile as he places a hand on her shoulder. "I may regret what I must do with my own hands, walking the path of blood, but…it was my choice to accept your contract."

"Not much of a choice between life and death," the green-haired witch responded, but Avenger just looked at her, his purple eyes staring into gold.

"I was dead until the moment I met you," the exiled prince spoke softly, "a powerless corpse pretending to be alive. Living without power, without the ability to change my course, that life was akin to a slow death. So I'll say this now…thank you. For everything."

The two were silent for a moment following Lelouch's declaration, and as the two looked at one another, the Witch's face moved forward ever so slightly to close the gap between their lips in a soft kiss, with the rain gently _pitter-pattering_ around them. It lasted only seconds, an insignificant span of time by any measure, but the feeling was real enough.

"…you're a very selfish woman," Avenger whispered as the two broke apart.

"Of course," the immortal replied cheekily. "For that is what makes me C.C."

Then her expression grew more serious as she reached up and took the Servant's head in her hands.

"Are you regretting what happened in phantasmagoria?" she asked almost tenderly. "Having to kill someone you cared for as a friend?"

"…"

"It's a little different when it's someone you know, isn't it?" the witch continued, remembering something from her own past stained in blood. "Up until now, you've killed many people with your powers, striking them down because they have harmed others—and yet they have been those you don't know, right? Even though they as well had lovers and friends and families…"

"What troubles me most, witch, is not that he was a friend, but that he thanked me for killing him," Avenger said at last, recalling the last words of Suzaku Kururugi. It was generally an unusual thing for a killer to be thanked by his victim, to say the least. "Why would he…?"

"You said it yourself," the Grey Witch replied, "that the only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed. Berserker, too, sought atonement for his sins in death—atonement that his mad enhancement would not grant him."

"…you may be right, Zero," Lelouch conceded, his eyes moist for some reason or another. "You may…"

He broke off, as an errant droplet of water issued from one of the corners of his eyes, followed by another, and another as reality sank in, with the Code-bearer gently embracing her Servant as if to comfort him.

"As the moonlight shines in bitter cold, and frozen tears begin to flow once more," the immortal murmured, as if reciting something, "despair hidden away is once again made known, revealing the cost of a miracle, of reaching the distant far off dream that has us always in its view."

The two lingered in that space for some time, before finally returning to the physical world once more.

* * *

**Avenger's Quarters, Black Knight Headquarters**

When the dark Servant next came to, Lelouch vi Britannia found himself warm, dry, and back in the world of reality, specifically, in his personal quarters in the Black Knights' mobile base. He was still rather fatigued from the major drain on his energy caused by the repairing of his body's "concept" following the battle in phantasmagoria, not to mention somewhat emotionally worn, but…Avenger had to admit that the Witch had made him feel a little better.

'_After all, it was thanks to her I could walk this road towards the destruction of Britannia,'_ the Servant told himself, taking in his surroundings at a glance. Apparently, he had been moved from his damaged Knightmare by one of the Black Knights (presumably at Zero's direction), with whoever had placed him in bed having removed his helmet. And then… _'I have the eerie feeling that I am not alone…'_

This was possibly due to the fact that his head was resting on something soft and warm and definitely _not_ his pillow.

'_Don't tell me the witch is…'_

But of course, it was not the Grey Witch on whose lap his head rested, but the press officer of the Black Knights, which Lelouch became aware of as he found himself looking into the sleeping face of Milly Ashford, as she leaned over him while dressed in C.C.'s straitjacket, having apparently been with him all this time—a face and form now stirring at Lelouch's bit of movement.

"Uhnnn…" Milly yawned, as she too awakened, her startlingly blue eyes blinking open as they took in the sight of an awakened Avenger. "You're awake…you had me worried, Lulu. You've been out for more than a day."

At that, the Servant smiled despite himself, allowing himself to relax once more.

"Sorry," he said apologetically. "I'm sure your legs are probably half asleep from having to bear the weight of my head."

Had the prince's eyes been open, he would have seen a rather wicked smirk cross the blonde's lips.

"Yes, it's a good thing you aren't quite as egotistical as you seem, or I would surely have been crushed," she joked, causing the outcast prince to wince.

"Ah, you wound me, Milly," Avenger replied, miming with his hands the action of being struck by an arrow (which didn't take too much imagination, considering all the ways he had been cut, impaled, slashed, and otherwise injured in his phantasm world). "Though I see you're still wearing the straitjacket—quite the closet masochist, aren't you?"

At this, the raven-haired prince smirked, leading to the blonde reaching down to twist one of his cheeks.

"Don't tell me you don't enjoy that part of me, Lulu," Milly teased savagely, raising a slender eyebrow in amusement. "Or is it that you enjoy the humiliation of being seen cross-dressing in public, and want me to be a sadist?"

"…I'd call you a witch, but that title is reserved for Zero," Avenger groused, putting a hand over hers. "Where is Zero, anyway?"

Milly clucked her tongue at this.

"Shame on you, mentioning another woman while you're with me," the blonde chided, only half kidding. "As for our boss, she went off to Kyoto for a meeting, taking Kallen with her."

"Kyoto, eh?" Avenger replied, mulling over what this could mean. With the demise of the JLF as a viable organization, this likely meant that support now shifted to the Black Knights. "How…interesting. Just promise me you won't take advantage of her absence to arrange a cross-dressing ball or anything for the Black Knights, would you?"

Milly put a finger to her chin, pretending to consider Lelouch's request.

"Hmm, just wait for the Christmas party," she murmured mischievously. "I mean, even you as 'Mr. Tall, Dark and Apathetic' have to enjoy something besides chess gambling and outwitting Britannia, right?"

The prince's eyes lazily opened as the young man chuckled.

"I enjoy being here with you," the Servant whispered, his fingers moving with a life of their own to caress the one of the blonde's hands, feeling her warmth bleed into his cold hands. "It's a nice reminder that there's someone looking out for me."

"Hey, we outcasts of the Empire have to stick together, right?" Milly teased, hiding her blush slightly as she shifted position. Lelouch was right—her legs were beginning to tire of simply sitting down. "Move aside, Lelouch."

"Erm?" the prince began, but shifted aside anyway, accustomed to following the Ashford Heir's commands, only for her to writhe out from under him, moving instead to flop down on the bed beside him, propping herself up with an elbow as she looked over at the Servant, causing Lelouch to blush at the curvaceous blonde's proximity.

"It's probably a good thing that Shirley couldn't walk in on us now, or she'd probably misunderstand things again, eh?" Milly joked, only for Lelouch to shoot her a _look_. "Really, even if her body is a perfect 10, she still needs to work on staying calm."

"…two points," Lelouch countered, with a wry smirk, leaning over towards Milly. "One: I really don't need any more injuries, whether inflicted by slaps or rolls of paper. Two: I don't think there's anything to misunderstand, is there?"

"You tell me, Lelouch vi Britannia, is there anything to misunderstand?" the blonde asked, her voice once again turned coy and teasing, with traces of a sultry smirk upon her lips as fingers reached out and pulled his face to hers, clamping her lips against his and thrusting her tongue into his mouth. The prince pushed back with his own tongue, arms moving to wrap around Milly's strait-jacket-clad form, a fashion that, while almost mundane on C.C., was rather provocative on the blonde.

They stayed together in that embrace for a time, pulling apart only when both of them were shaking and gasping for air, with Lelouch suitably flustered by the close physical contact.

"I think you have your answer," the prince managed to eek out, receiving a low, throaty chuckle in return.

"Mayhaps I do," the Ashford heir answered, reaching up to ruffle the boy's hair affectionately. "So how are you feeling after your little ordeal? Kallen filled me in on some of what you went through, but I want to hear it from you, if you don't mind…"

"A little sore, a little tired, but much warmer since you're around," Avenger commented, as he lay back down onto the bed, with Milly lowering herself down to rest her head on his chest as she lay pressed against him. "Still, a question."

"Ask away, my royal pillow," the blonde replied languidly.

"…you really do know how to use people, don't you?" the Servant ribbed, receiving only a gentle smile in return. "Anyway, why did you really join the Black Knights? You said at the time that it was gratitude but…?"

"You know about my obsession with secrets, right Lulu?" Milly replied with a tired yawn. "Well, I wanted to be able to share a secret this time…and well, this is so much more _interesting_ than life at Ashford…and I don't even have to organize events. Plus, it gets me closer to Avenger than all those fangirls."

The exiled prince laughed softly at this, raising his eyebrow at the last.

"More fangirls?" he groused. "Can I never get away from them?"

"What can I say?" Milly shrugged, nuzzling the prince's chest. "People love mysteries—even me."

The two continued talking for a time, laughing a little, and simply enjoying one another's company, before finally drifting off to a calm and dreamless sleep.

**

* * *

**

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

"You…surrendered the forces at Narita to Zero?ǃ" Cornelia li Britannia railed at the Governor General, being a little angry about the situation. "And worse than that, you agreed to a moratorium on action against the Black Knights _and_ a one-year ban on any of us present at Narita leading troops against the Black Knights? You…you…"

"…did it to save your life and the lives of the soldiers," Earl Asplund replied, meeting the Second Princess' angry glare evenly. "As was mentioned, Narita was a fiasco, with the only Knightmares on our side showing any quality being the Lancelot and its sister unit, the Lancelot Club. The two Knightmares in the sky had us completely outclassed, as much as it pains me to admit it. Even your royal guard was quickly dispatched. Further fighting would have ended in needless death - our needless deaths."

"…but you surrendered to Zero, the most dangerous criminal our homeland has ever known, and accepted her terms, thereby legitimizing her acts of terrorism!" Cornelia spat, wanting to draw her sidearm and blow out Lloyd's brains, only to find that her weapon wasn't there. "And with the total loss of our Knightmares and other vehicles there, we don't have the forces to counter the Chinese Federation's attack."

The Governor General raised a hand to stop the Chief General's rant.

"Typical terrorists do not engage their enemies in direct conventional warfare and defeat them in total," remarked Governor General Asplund, his mouth quirking slightly. "As for the state of our forces, reinforcements have been diverted to Area 11 from the Pacific Fleet, including the _Avalon_ and the prototype Knightmare Frame Gawain. They will be here in several days."

"Schneizel's airship?" Cornelia asked, interest piqued, though she raised an eyebrow as she remembered through where the Earl had risen. "Of course you would know, since you were part of the Special Engineering Corps."

Earl Asplund looked down at a paper held in his hands and passed it to Cornelia, who took it, frowning as she saw the instructions on it.

"I've been recalled to the homeland to deal with the EU," the Second Princess read distastefully. "Apparently, they have taken advantage of our troubles in Area 11 to start an offensive along the El Alamein front."

"When it rains, it pours, eh?" asked the mocking Earl. "Perhaps if the previous administration had not been so eager to eliminate and degrade the Elevens, the Chinese Federation would not have had the opportunity to attack."

"Discrimination against the numbers is our national policy," Cornelia shot back, affronted by the seeming insult to Clovis.

"Then, perhaps it time to change it for the sake of efficiency," replied the Earl of Pudding. In his eyes, a policy did no good unless it garnered some positive effect—which this certainly did not."

"Oh is it now?" Cornelia bit back. "Well, when you become Emperor, feel free to do so!"

'_Not a bad idea, with the offer the Black Knights extended to me,' _the scientist thought silently, having at least enough self-preservation instinct not to say that much.

With that, the Witch of Britannia stormed out of the room, proving that Earl Asplund's legendary ability to anger nobles of all stations was still very much in effect, though he was seemingly armored against bodily harm by his station.

A few minutes later, a somewhat startled Cecile Croomy entered, one of the few people Lloyd didn't mind making time for in his schedule.

"Lloyd, what did you—"

"She's just irritable because she was beaten by Zero," the Earl of Pudding said, waving off his former aide's concerns. "Anyway, the Second Princess will soon be returning to the homeland, so nothing to worry about, Cecile."

Not that this did anything to prevent a look of concern from crossing Cecile's face.

"…you really don't think much of people's troubles, do you, Lloyd?" she asked, even knowing what his answer would be. "You don't even seem to be fazed by Warrant Officer Kururugi's death."

Earl Asplund just shrugged.

"If we still had the Lancelot, we'd need to find a new devicer, but since we don't and the Black Knights promised to send us data. And about the Princess, it's not my fault she defines competence only by the ability to catch Zero," the Governor General quipped. "In a scientist, that might be a valuable trait, but in someone groomed for command—"

"I see your point, it _is_ a bit short sighted," Cecile agreed, even as she looked skeptically at the man. "Not that you're exactly the best example of a political leader."

"I would hope not," the Earl replied, seemingly horrified at the thought. "Anyway, how are those Sutherland Airs and the Vincent coming along?"

"Another week and the refits will be complete, though the Vincent will take two," the director of the Camelot Research Facility reported. "We have also begun to look at the parts recovered from the Knight Giga Fortress at Narita—it's a fairly advanced frame, even more than Lancelot."

"That's right…full body Blaze Luminous shields, a powerful and efficient float unit, and more," the Governor General thought out loud, recalling what he had seen of the battle. "Even Zero's Knightmare had a difficult time against it…"

"It should be possible to construct another Knight Giga Fortress by building the remaining parts around a Sutherland Air core," Cecile mused, recalling the sheer power of the unit. "That would be quite interesting to test and deploy."

"But of course, that leaves the question of who to deploy it against," Lloyd stated flatly. "We can't use it against the Black Knights, as per our agreement with them, the Chinese Federation will be dealt with before the Sutherland Sieg is completed, and the EU is too far away, so…"

To his utter delight, the Governor General suddenly remembered Zero's offer of alliance, and the man grinned a Cheshire smile that somewhat disconcerted his former assistant.

"Lloyd…please don't tell me that you're thinking of…" the director of Camelot began, then closed her mouth, looking for an alternate way to phrase what she meant. "I know the data is promising, but…do you really think that..."

But it seemed that the Governor General's mind was made up.

"Cecile, contact the Black Knights at the next available opportunity," Lloyd said confidently. "Tell them that we'd be pleased if they helped us to deal with the Chinese Federation—and that you will be participating in a joint operation in the Lancelot Club."

"Me?" Cecile echoed, just for confirmation. "In the Lancelot Club again?"

"Yes, indeed," Lloyd confirmed agreeably. "After all, with the Club, the Lancelot, and Zero's Knightmare together…the Chinese Federation won't know what hit it."

* * *

**Meeting with the Six Houses of Kyoto, Mount Fuji**

With confidence born of thousands of years of life experience and the certainty not to mention that nothing that could be done to her would put her down for long, Zero strode from the car that had delivered her to the headquarters of Kyoto House, accompanied by the senior commanders of the Black Knights - which today did not include Avenger, as the poor Servant was still recovering from his injuries. While some of her compatriots were nervous, or a little tense about being summoned before the group sponsoring all notable resistance groups in Area 11, the immortal witch was perfectly calm, knowing that things would turn out well in the end.

"Kallen," the voice of Zero spoke ominously, as the redhead quickened her pace to come up alongside Avenger's master, where the masked revolutionary handed Rider a Knightmare activation key.

"What's this?" the redhead asked. After all, was she not already the designated pilot of the Guren MK-II?

"The key to the Lancelot, the White Knightmare that plagued us for so long," Zero replied, bringing a wide-eyed expression to Kallen's face. "Since the weapon arm of the Guren has been destroyed, you will need a Knightmare that suits your abilities—hence the Lancelot is yours."

Kallen's chest swelled with pride at her leader's words.

'_To think I will actually be able to follow Zero into battle from the air…'_

"And Avenger?" she asked, thinking that the second in command of the Knights should be given the use of something better than a Burai, now that it was available.

"He will either get the Guren or…have another unit assigned to him," the Geass Witch replied. "Don't worry…he'll be given a unit to make up for his mediocre piloting skills."

"Right," Kallen replied, as the party continued to walk on towards the meeting area.

After some time walking through what seemed to be old mining tunnels, the party emerged into the artificial cavern that would serve as their meeting room, with various members of the Black Knights commenting that on the possible location, with most agreeing that it was probably Mt. Fuji, under which majority of Japan's sakuradite rested.

'_An appropriate place for the Kyoto House to choose as a meeting location,_' the immortal mused. _'Certainly it is a display of their power, as well as how much authority they have been given—or taken—from under the Britannian authorities' noses.'_

And though one of the Knights mentioned that intruders to the mines were executed, C.C. was not worried, having absolutely no reason to be—and knowing that none of the others did either, thanks to Kallen's presence.

"It's repulsive," a deep voice rumbled, with the Black Knights turning to see a man sitting in a covered palanquin on the other side of the room with guards surrounding him, his face and upper body hidden by a cloth. "Mount Fuji, a sacred mountain once known for its clear water and quiet beauty. Now it is bent to the Empire's will—a place of hideous violation, a reflection of what Japan has become. It pains me so."

"So it is, though I imagine that if we are holding our meeting here, you must have something to do with the desecration of the holy mountain," Zero replied evenly, the guards reaching for their weapons—only to stop cold when they remembered that this was Zero, who could deflect bullets with ease.

'_That is a familiar voice, one I recognize from recordings…'_

"So it may be," the voice neither confirmed nor denied. "In any case, such activities are necessary in preparing for the rebirth of Japan, as it is occasionally necessary to do evil to destroy evil."

Zero acknowledged this with a nod.

"True enough words, to be sure," the Geass Witch said politely. "But it is also wise to avoid jumping off the slippery slope, is it not?"

"Perhaps you are right. I must apologize for not showing my face," the gravelly voice continued. "But, Zero, your face is hidden as well. Unfortunately, I cannot allow this. To trust you, I must know who you are: therefore you will show me your face."

With those words, the man pointed a long staff at the masked leader of the Black Knights, as several Burais moved into the cavern from adjoining tunnels.

"Do you really think this meager show of force from you will intimidate me any more than one from the far more massive Britannian army?" the immortal commented, her voice dripping with disdain. "I have defied gods and demons in my time, stood defiantly against the armies of kings and emperors, withstood the fury of the world itself, so what makes you think that four Burais pose any threat to me, Clan Chief of Kyoto, Taizo Kirihara?"

The others certainly had not been expecting this, and most balked at the intimidation, but a glance at their leader reassured them—for Zero had proven to be a maker of miracles time and time again. So they remained calm, waiting for Zero to deal with the situation.

"Anyone who can identify him must die!" one of the guards shouted, opening fire without thinking—only for the bullets to be caught up into a vortex about an advancing Zero, coiling about her arm like a shimmering lead gauntlet before shooting up into the air and smashing into the ground before Kirihara's chair. Thankfully, Kallen's eyes were hidden beneath a visor, so no one knew that it was she that was using this ability.

"A foolish move on your part, Kirihara," the masked revolutionary remarked coldly, the voice from the mirrored mask seeming to drop the temperature in the room to subarctic levels. "I wonder what you would have done if you had learned that I was not Japanese."

Some of the Black Knights' eyes widened in surprise, though Kallen's was not among them, though all were a little amused at how the guards were trembling in fear at the sight of the approaching Zero.

"If you are not Japanese, why do you fight for Japan?" Kirihara asked, keeping his eyes on the leader of the Black Knights. "What is it that you want?"

At this, Zero laughed, a sound that was both cutting and cruelly amused.

"Nothing less than the destruction of Britannia," the immortal declared, smirking beneath her mask. "Not simply to resist, but to overthrow their rule entirely."

"And you believe this is possible, that you can do it?" the gravelly voice inquired, admirably without wavering at all.

"You have seen my power, and the results I have produced, have you not?" Zero asked of the head of the Kyoto House. "Will you deny it? More to the point…eight years ago, you received a political hostage—that man sits at my right hand as Avenger, and both of us are mortal enemies to Britannia."

A loud dissonant cackle issued from behind the veil of cloth.

"So, the flower planted eight years ago has finally bloomed, has it?" the voice asked, now quite pleased. "And he and you are allies? Well then, I will not need to see your face—and in my turn, I will promise to assist you generously with whatever you may need. As proof of this, a submarine is on its way to the harbor as we speak."

"Thank you, Lord Kirihara," Zero responded, bowing slightly. "I am grateful."

And with that, the meeting ended, the Black Knights departing from the mountain without worry or haste. For with Zero as their leader, victory was certain.

* * *

**A/N**: Preparations continue for battles to come, with the Earl's long range upgrades almost completed, the Avalon and Gawain on its way, and Kallen now the new pilot of the Lancelot, not to mention Lelouch dealing with a few minor issues. Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated!


	23. Chiaroscuro Interplay

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

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**Student Council Clubroom, Ashford Academy**

It was a highly unusual event for all the members of Ashford Academy's Student Council to all be present on campus, to say nothing of being assembled in the same room, given the special considerations of several of their members (one feigning illness, another serving as a masked revolutionary sworn to the purpose of destroying Britannia, and a third serving out an "internship" in public relations / media affairs for a certain underground organization that shall not be named), and yet for once, they were all gathered to discuss a rather pressing issue: the plummeting morale at Ashford Academy.

With the news of the Chinese Federation's invasion of Area 11 all over the media, coupled with rumors that Britannia's invincible "Witch", Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia, had been defeated by none other than Zero (with some of the more far-fetched rumors even claiming that the outcome of the battle had been an unmitigated disaster for Britannian forces), the student population was understandably a little agitated—just as Milly Ashford liked them to be, as that was the time when they were most amenable to her little "requests."

'_At least there is only one more Servant to be eliminated in Area 11 before I can confront Caster in Pendragon.'_

From his seat across from the Student Council President, Lelouch Lamperouge could hardly suppress a shudder at the wicked smile stealing across Milly's lips, recalling that the last time he had come face to face with that particular expression, he had been forced into acting as 'Princess Lulu' in public, on a date. Still, he _hoped_ that this event would not—

"That's right, a Masquerade Ball, open to everyone on campus as well as guests from the Settlement!" the curvaceous blonde declared, leaping out of her seat with a classic "I've got it!" pose.

At those last words, most of the Student Council gave Kallen a rather knowing look, with Rivalz whispering a little too loudly that maybe the redhead could even get Princess Euphemia to attend, which would surely improve the spirit du corps at the Academy.

"A…masquerade ball?" Kallen echoed, keeping up her public façade of being a meek and frail Britannian student, an act she found all the more annoying with Lelouch in the room, since she knew the sadist prince was probably enjoying her discomfort._ 'As a demon no doubt would…'_

"That's right," Milly replied cheerfully. "Since classes are still postponed, and there's not much to do on campus, we might as well have some fun, right? And with so much talk about masked heroes and villains, who wouldn't welcome a chance for a masquerade?"

"Hey, it sounds better than the cross-dressers ball, wouldn't you say, Lelouch?" an overly enthusiastic Rivalz chimed in, always eager to try and score some points with his long-time crush. For once, however, Lelouch would be willing to concede that his sometimes friend had a point, nodding reluctantly at this.

"Oh come on, Rivalz, it wasn't that bad. It was kind of fun actually," rejoined a somewhat on-edge Shirley, who was glancing between Kallen and Lelouch as if she _knew_ that the two were hiding some kind of secret. Which, in all honesty, they were, just not one that was romantic in nature-or so they told themselves. Oh no, that distinction went to Lelouch and Milly, even if those two would be the last Shirley would suspect.

"…easy for you to say," Rivalz protested, wincing as he recalled the indignity of being stuffed into a dress with more ruffles and lace than he had ever seen before in his life. "If I never have to wear another dress for as long as I—"

_Gulp!_

The Secretary of the Student Council swallowed what he was going to say as he caught sight of a Cheshire smile on Milly's lips. While the resident slacker might not have been the best at reading a situation, even he knew that to say too much when that expression appeared was to dig his own grave.

"Oh come on, Rivalz, it wasn't quite that bad," Lelouch spoke in his easygoing manner, trying to defuse the tense situation. And well, compared to other occasions when he had been forced into cross-dressing, the ball hadn't been too bad at all, since everyone else had shared in the humiliation and the sense of shadenfreude had greatly helped him to endure it.

'_It's not the same,'_ Rivalz fumed silently. '_Somehow Lelouch always comes out looking like roses, even somehow managing to look disturbingly attractive in drag. Still, I'm just glad he's not interested in Milly, or I'd have no chance at all.'_

Oh, cruel, cruel irony. Apparently, Lelouch was not the only one that the universe liked to use as a chewtoy—or perhaps there was a quota to just how much suffering could be heaped on any one person. Who could say, really?

"Still, it sounds like an interesting idea," Avenger replied in his role as the supportive subordinate, one he'd long gotten used to playing. "I think that might be what everyone needs, and it sounds like fun to dress up while wearing a mask."

"You _would_ say such a thing," Kallen returned slyly, giving the Vice President a baleful stare, one that Shirley didn't miss. "Even if you don't need a costume, since you're already wearing a mask."

"Oh, come on, don't tell me the lovebirds are fighting again?" joked a happy-go-lucky Rivalz—as the atmosphere in the room froze. The hapless secretary looked around, wondering exactly what he had said wrong when—

_Smack!_

His statement earned him a rolled up newspaper to the head from Milly, as the others chuckled at his misfortune.

"We're not lovebirds. I don't even like him/her," Kallen and Lelouch protested in unison, giving each other a critical look as they finished speaking. Unfortunately, this display of perfect synchronization only heightened Shirley's distress and caused Rivalz to suspect there might be something to those rumors after all.

"Then does that mean you're going to invite the Sub-Viceroy to the ball, Kallen?" Shirley asked of the redhead, with perhaps a trace of venom in her voice.

"I—"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Milly replied smoothly, that all knowing smirk present again as she looked off in the direction of the Government Bureau. "I took the liberty of sending the Sub-Viceroy an invitation in your name."

"W-w-what?ǃ" Kallen sputtered in shock, her whole body flushing as the Student Council President's words sank in. "You did…"

'_Was _that_ what you were sending to the Government Bureau when you were supposed to be drafting that press release for the Black Knights? Or…'_

"Oh, there's no need to hide it, Kallen," Milly teased, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "It's not as if any of us missed the flirting between you and 'Euphie' during the last event."

All of the sudden, Lelouch was very glad that the event would be a masquerade ball, which meant that he would at least be able to hide his face. Otherwise, his beloved half-sister Euphemia li Britannia would probably recognize him at a glance—which could pose some difficulties for the double life he led (not least for the fact that he was supposed to be dead).

"Madame Prez!" the redhead objected, before bowing to the inevitability of it all. "…oh well, I guess Euphie would be happy to get out of the stifling Bureau anyway."

As Lelouch had once warned her, once Milly got going on one of her elaborate schemes, she was about as difficult to stop as the full force of Shen Hu's Baryon Cannon—which was to say, one shouldn't even try.

"So when is it?" Lelouch asked, slightly irked that no one else had thought to ask that question. Or was it more of a case that everyone knew except him? Knowing Milly, it could go either way. "I'm going to guess you've the musicians, decorators and all?"

"Of course, my new boss gave me some tips about that," the blonde replied, leading Lelouch to look at her askance. As far as he knew, the only side job Milly had taken was her work with the Black Knights, which meant, if she hadn't asked him, then the boss was…_'Damn that witch.' _ "In fact, it's going to be tonight, so you'd better get ready, Lulu, though you don't have to worry about what to wear, since we should have something in the closet fitting for Ashford Academy's prince."

Had Lelouch vi Britannia not been very used to playing different roles by now, his jaw would have most likely dropped in disbelief.

"Everyone else knew about this ahead of time, I assume?" he asked dryly, wanting to preserve what shreds of dignity he had left.

"Of course, Lulu," Milly answered, as she walked over to him and hauled him to his feet. "It's your fault for being absent these few days while we were all hard at work."

"I don't know if I'd use 'hard at work' to describe the Student Council," the exiled prince rejoined wryly, to which Milly responded with a theatrical huff.

"Oh, enough talking, Lelouch," the blonde ordered, with the Vice President just nodding and deciding to follow. "Let's get you to your outfit."

"You sure have a talent for ordering people around," quipped the dark Servant, as the two exited the clubroom.

"Of course, but not nearly so much as you," the blonde replied, turning a sly smile on the raven-haired prince.

"Touché," the Servant conceded gracefully. "But only when it counts."

Back in the clubroom, the others had gotten to talking about what they would be wearing, with Kallen not particularly enthused about the idea of having to wear a formal ball gown. For one thing, those tedious affairs of silk and taffeta tended to restrict her mobility, something she didn't enjoy, no matter how many times she endured it. For another, she rather thought current Britannian fashions placed too much emphasis on the bust, which was the last thing Kallen needed.

'_I don't want any more dogged admirers, thanks,'_ she thought to herself distastefully. _'The one good thing that has come out of the stupid rumors about Lelouch and I being a couple is that people have stopped trying to ask me out.'_

"Oh, don't worry about that," Shirley said suddenly, turning to Kallen, her face a study in amiability, though her voice was somewhat…less pleasantly inclined. "The president had some stuff made just for you."

The orangette gestured to a clothing rack in the corner of the room, on which hung what even Kallen had to admit was a rather tasteful looking Victorian-era ball gown.

'_Black silk taffeta, so not too flashy,' _the redhead thought as she walked over to the rack and took the garment from it, studying it intently. _'Floor length, with poet sleeves, the sort fitted from shoulder to elbow, before flaring out from there to the wrist, with ruffled cuffs. A lace-up bodice, as expected, with black ribbon used for lacing. A layered skirt, flaring out as it drops, trimmed with long elegant black ruffles. And the neckline isn't too low…I approve.'_

Kallen found herself nodding, not quite displeased by the dress that Milly had ordered. At least the color was to her liking, considering how often she wore it for duty, and she probably wouldn't draw too much attention in this dress—which was quite how she wanted it.

"Oh…wow, I don't know what to say," the Black Knight breathed in astonishment. "Thanks, Shirley. And I'll have to thank Madame Prez too."

"Of course," Shirley replied diplomatically, though the orangette's gaze sharpened on Kallen, as if there was something she wanted to ask.

"…is something wrong, Shirley?" Kallen asked, deciding to broach the topic now rather than wait.

"If you don't mind telling me, is there a reason that both you and Lulu are absent at the same time these days?" inquired Shirley Fenette, desperately wanting to know what the truth was. "I mean, I know you're a little frail, but what about him? Aren't you two seeing each other?"

"That's not it at all," Rider replied, a sudden thought occurring to her. Sometimes, it was better to tell the truth, especially when it would not be believed-stranger than fiction and all that. Thus, her expression retained its usual calm, deadpan look as she went on. "The truth is we're both Black Knights."

Silence hung in the room for a moment, as the words sunk in, and then—

_Thump!_

"Bwhahahaha, that's a good one, Kallen," Rivalz burst out, having fallen to the floor, where he was literally rolling with laughter. "And here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor. Tell me another one, like Lelouch is Avenger and you're Zero or something."

The secretary continued to laugh and laugh and laugh, while Shirley just huffed, convinced that the redhead wasn't taking her seriously.

"Well, if you didn't want to tell me, you could have just said so!" the orangette fumed, wondering what she had done to deserve such treatment. "You didn't have to say something ridiculous like that!"

"Though I wouldn't mind if he…were Avenger," Nina piped up quietly from where she sat at her computer, already dressed in a simple gown of pink and rose, with two ornamental roses in her hair—which was not worn in pigtails for once, but loose.

Kallen couldn't decide whether to compliment the girl on how nicely she cleaned up, or to groan at the reminder that Nina was an Avenger fangirl. Thus she settled for just sighing, since Rider supposed that Nina had _some_ reason to admire the masked sub-commander of the Black Knights.

'_At least she hasn't been ogling—'_

"Nina, are you looking at pictures of Avenger on the internet _again?"_ complained Rivalz, the dissatisfied secretary noting that the Student Council's quietest member seemed to bury herself in her research all the time, or if not, to focus her attention on that masked man. "Man, what is it these days? At Ashford, no one can win against Lelouch—except this guy…and you can't even see his face."

"At least at the masquerade, we'll all have our faces concealed, if only a little, right?" Kallen pointed out. "This should be your chance."

'_Thank god w__e'll all be wearing masks for the masquerade, so I won't have to put up with this annoying invalid act!'_

**

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**Sub-Viceroy's Residence, Government Bureau**

In her private quarters, Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire sat at her desk, rather confused about how she should feel about a piece of paper clutched in her hand: an invitation to the Ashford Academy Masquerade Ball from her dear friend Kallen Stadtfeld, the first communication she'd had with the redhead since before Narita.

'_I do want to see her, but my heart is still troubled about what happened at Narita,'_ the pink-haired princess thought to herself. _'About Zero's offer for us to join her in rebellion. About the girl who was with Zero who reminds me of Kallen.'_

The young redheaded girl's face had been masked, and the girl had not spoken—but Euphemia was certain that this was the same girl who had escorted her to Zero during the hoteljacking incident, the same girl who had been around the man named Avenger. That girl was apparently one of Zero's most trusted subordinates, if she had appeared in Avenger's place, and had exuded a confidence and sense of purpose that she had seen glimpses of in Kallen from time to time.

'_Zero faced us in battle and defeated us—sparing us only because she was not one to slaughter the weak. If the Britannian doctrine that strength is righteousness is correct – then does that mean that Zero's way is the right way? Cornelia has always said that those who risk their lives in battle deserve to rule, but…'_

The Sub-Viceroy also recalled what she had spoken to Kallen about at the Clovis Memorial Museum, noting how the redhead had rejected the notion of a Special Administrative Zone, calling it an empty dream, like the notion of an Honorary Britannian. In a way, that kind, brave girl was very much like Zero – and was almost a knight in her own right

'_The system can't be changed from within…I see that now,'_ the Third Princess thought to herself. _'But…'_

She supposed that joining with Zero might not be a bad idea, if push came to shove, though she also wanted to know what Kallen might think.

'_I'll go to the ball then…I want to see her. But I wonder, will she be able to find me?'_

At least her attire was already appropriate for a ball, a ivory gown that was essentially the mirror image of Kallen's in all but color.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Hearing a knock at her quarters, the Sub-Viceroy walked to the door and opened it—only to find Governor General Lloyd Asplund and Director of Camelot Cecile Croomy at her door, dressed in rather ornate formalwear.

"Um…this is a surprise," Euphemia began, only for the Governor General to look over her curiously.

"Well, aren't you going to change into something more formal?" the Earl of Pudding asked. The man was wearing a rather dashing suit of maroon and carmine red that contrasted well with his white hair, and rather looked like he was on his way to a white-tie party, event. "At this rate, we'll be late for the ball."

"Yes, and good guests should arrive on time," interjected the Director of Camelot, who, too was dressed in a rather slender but daring midnight blue ball gown, with a rather…plunging neckline. "Lloyd insisted on going to Ashford to find out more about the Ganymede, and I have to keep him in line so…"

The blunette just grabbed onto the Governor General's arm, intending to pull him away by force if need be, but Euphemia just shook her head in amusement.

"Oh…just a moment then," the Third Princess said, looking hesitantly at the Director of Camelot. "Though…Ms. Croomy?"

"Yes?" the gentle scientist asked.

"Would you mind helping me with my hair?"

"Why do women always—" Lloyd began, only to be cut off by an elbow to his ribs.

"Ah, looking your best for someone, I see," Cecile said, with a friendly smile on her face. "I'd be delighted."

**

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**

**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**

Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia, Second Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, sat at the head of a table with other ministers and functionaries, listening to a report on the happenings in Area 11, including the surrender of a Britannian army to Zero, as well as the invasion of Kyushu by the Chinese Federation.

"Yes, I am fully aware that we do not currently have the forces to both deal with the invasion of Kyushu and put down the rebels in Area 11," the man noted, seemingly as unaffected by this as anything else. "Furthermore, given the ongoing war with the Euro Universe, we are in no position to engage in a war with the Chinese Federation at this time."

"So then, do you propose we do nothing and let Area 11 be taken from us?" one of the other ministers asked, only for Schneizel to shake his head.

"No, of course not," the Prime Minister replied, looking at the one who had spoken. "But if we were to somehow acquire the territories of the Chinese Federation peacefully, then Area 11 would remain ours, regardless of what happens in this battle, and more territory would belong to Britannia, correct?"

Some heads nodded, while others simply waited, wondering that Schneizel had in mind.

"Knowing the corruption rampant in the upper classes, I propose a political marriage between the Chinese Empress Tianzi and my brother Odysseus eu Britannia," the Second Prince announced, his hands spread supplicating. "We may bribe the High Eunuchs with promises of titles of nobility, and in exchange, the resources of another third of the world become available to us in the war to suppress the EU."

"An interesting idea, your Highness," one of the others said, nodding. "We may as well try it, to see what the result will be."

**

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**

**Masquerade Ball, Ashford Academy**

From his vantage point at the second level of the Student Council Clubhouse, a building which was currently being used for its original function as a ballroom, in addition to the grounds outside, Lelouch vi Britannia found himself impressed despite himself. Milly had outdone herself in recreating Ashford as an almost magical place for the night, seemingly far away from the strife and turmoil in Area 11, with lanterns lining the paths and what seemed like fireflies floating above the grounds outside in motes of light.

'_She even went and arranged for an orchestra to be present, to recreate the feeling of classical decadence,'_ the outcast prince observed with amusement, noting with surprise that the conductor of this orchestra was Kaname Ohgi—and that the members of the ensemble were all Black Knights. _'I suppose it's not too surprising, since Ohgi was once a music teacher before the Britannian Invasion—and this must be an interesting break from resistance activities.'_

The Knights did apparently clean up nicely, though the same might be said for Avenger himself, who was every inch the black prince, in a coat and waistcoat of black velvet enhanced by vermillion markings embroidered into shoulders and cuffs seemingly based on the symbol of Geass, combined with a white ruffled shirt and white silk cravat, the ensemble topped off with a black cape with intricate silver embroidery.

"Well, don't you look like the spitting image of a prince?" purred a voice from beside him, with Lelouch turning to the side to see a curtseying Milly in a lovely, figure-hugging purple gown, with those billowy sleeves ornamented with ruffles and lace up bodice that captured the spirit of the Victorian age, part of her face concealed by a purple half-mask.

"And you the queen of Ashford itself this night," Avenger returned with a mock bow, offering her his arm, as the two proceeded down the stairs towards the dance floor below.

Down below, Lloyd and Cecile had stopped after a waltz to take a look at the catering tables where the Governor General had heard there was the most excellent Crème brûlée being served—his eyes growing wide with excitement as he laid eyes on the wide assortment of puddings, cakes, and other desserts available.

The Earl had just reached out for one of the assorted puddings then—

"Hm?"

—his fingers met only air, as another set of hands had taken the pudding moments before he had claimed it.

"My my, if it isn't the Earl of Pudding," quipped the voice of the person the hand was connected to, a rather dark-skinned blonde wearing a simple gown of maroon, seemingly the perfectly match for Lloyd's coat, her trademark pipe in her other hand. "And you as well, Cecile. You two certainly know how to clean up well."

"Rakshata, what are you doing here?" the Governor General growled in recognition. "I see you haven't sheathed your claws after all these years. Speaking of which, I do believe you have my pudding."

"Oh, a mutual friend invited me," the Indian scientist replied enigmatically, taking a puff of her pipe.

Lloyd glanced at Cecile, the only person who he was _sure_ they both knew (as the three had studied together almost a lifetime ago), but rejected that possibility almost instantly. Which left—

"Our…charming friend with the mask?" the Earl asks in turn, raising an eyebrow.

"To think you were defeated by nothing…still a nihilist as always," the Indian scientist returned in kind. "Even if you've somehow become Governor General of an Area, which rather a shame now since I have no one to challenge me. Your sociopathic nature is probably going over quite well with your co-workers."

Her voice was rather loaded with sarcasm, much as it had always been when directed towards him.

"Of course, sociopathic just like you, Rakshata," Lloyd Asplund replied, his lips twisting wryly. "I don't really care what happens as long as I continue to gather data. And it really is too bad, since if you had only stayed in school a little longer, Rakshata, you would've become as good a Knightmare designer as I."

"Still such an asshole," the Indian scientist sighed. "And inherently odious as always, which I suppose suits your new career as a politician. No wonder my child the Shen Hu bested your Lancelot so easily."

"…well then, I will simply have to amuse myself by designing something to beat you," the Earl replied, his smirk a little crooked. "It's not often I am presented with a challenge in this world—and unlimited funding—"

"Thanks to you abusing your position, you little sociopath," the Earl's arch-nemesis rejoined, though there was a hint of a smile on her face, as she handed the man the pudding she had stolen from him. "I suppose I can give you the pudding, since I now have your Knightmare to study."

At this, Lloyd gritted his teeth in annoyance, calming only when Cecile placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him warningly.

"And I see you still have your minder," the Black Knights' chief scientist continued.

"Yes, but I also have the Knightmare that nearly beat yours, the great Orange," the Governor General shot back, as the man made up his mind about the rather faustian offer he had been given earlier.

"Almost being the operative word, Earl of Pudding."

The two nearly glared at one another for a moment, before Cecile stepped in and elbowed the white-haired man in the ribs, prompting him to behave himself.

"Rakshata, would you care for a dance?" the Governor General asked, forcing himself to act the part of a gentleman (for once), offering his rival a hand.

"I suppose I can grant you one from pity," the dark-skinned scientist said, accepting the outstretched hand, as they both headed to the dance floor, no doubt for more verbal sniping from a more intimate position.

Out in the garden, Euphemia li Britannia and Kallen Kozuki were walking together under the light of the stars and the watery moon, nearly mirror images of one another, with the Sub-Viceroy finding that Kallen's dark ballgown reminded her greatly of Zero's subordinate.

"So what do you think about all this, Kallen?" the pink-haired princess asked her friend in the relative privacy of the gardens. Many people were still inside or closer to the clubhouse, so there weren't many around to bother them. "About Narita and the rest? About the invasion of the Chinese Federation? Does it unsettle you…?"

"It's a rough time for everyone," the redhead replied, turning to the side to look at the Sub-Viceroy. "But I have faith things will be alright."

"Just what do have you have faith in, Kallen?" Euphemia questioned, knowing that it probably wasn't faith in Britannia, after what had happened to the army in Narita. "Is it…Zero?"

"Times are changing, Euphie," Kallen spoke softly, observing the way moonlight softened the princess' features. "And I know how much you dislike violence, but if we want a gentler world, people have to stand up and fight to make what they want a reality. People like Zero…"

A soft, strained laugh issued from Euphemia's lips as she stopped in her tracks, turning to face the Black Knight.

"…people like you?" she asked, visibly trembling. It wasn't as if anything would happen if she did know, thanks to the agreement that Zero had made with the Governor General, but…

"Euphie?" Kallen questioned, trying to deflect the Sub-Viceroy's line of thought but…

"It was you at Narita and Lake Kawaguchi, wasn't it?" Euphemia asked again, more certain this time. "Wearing a mask to cover your eyes, like you are now…"

"And if I was?" the redhead asked flatly, looking up into the princess' eyes with defiance and tenderness rolled up in one. "Would you hate me for it?"

"I..." Euphemia began to say, but swallowed her words, not knowing what to say.

"Heh…figures," Kallen sighed, turning to go with a shake of her head. "Nothing stays the same forever, does i—"

Warmth.

The Sub-Viceroy had taken hold of Kallen's hand to keep the redhead from leaving, her body shaking with exertion as she fought an inner battle with herself, a look of absolute vulnerability on her face.

"I…" she began again, eyes wild and confused.

As her legs gave out, Kallen moved, catching the princess in her embrace much as on the day they had met, much as a knight might her lady.

"Euphie! Are you alright?" the Black Knight asked, keeping her arms around the pink-haired princess. "Euphie?"

"…don't hate you, Kallen," Euphemia whispered softly, leaning into the redhead's embrace.

"You…" the redhead said uncertainly, her eyes focused on the pale face of the pink-haired princess.

"I could never hate you."

Back in the ballroom, a lone figure entered, her form swathed in an elegant gown of madder red, inspiring whispers, questions, and conversations as she glided across the floor, her feet barely seeming to touch the ground at all underneath her billowing skirt as she floated inexorably towards a certain black prince. In some ways, she was an ephemeral twilight flower, as the bodice of the dress, like her red lace choker and tight detachable sleeves bore intricate designs like a Lycoris blossom, showing enough to tantalize and draw the eye, but hiding much more behind a mystery. And though her face was mostly hidden beneath a red butterfly mask, the amber eyes peering out from it, and the green hair flowing down to the small of her back drew the attention of more than one onlooker—including a certain Servant, who had been abandoned just moments earlier.

Avenger, catching sight of the immortal witch C.C., strode over to her, meeting his master in the center of the ballroom and bowing to her, offering to her his hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked.

In turn, the Grey Witch dipped a curtsey, and gracefully accepted, taking his hand as they began a slow waltz to the accompaniment of the orchestra, with the rest of the crowd looking on at this dance of shadow and flame.

"And what praytell are you doing here tonight, witch?" the Black Prince murmured in his partner's ear as they moved and whirled and flowed across the floor.

"Why, the same thing you are, warlock," the immortal replied with a smirk. "Dancing."

A dip, and a recover, spinning out and spinning back, with images of other ballrooms, other places, other times, all flowing through their minds.

"You do this often?" the Servant asked his master, taking in the stream of memories.

"Oh, not for at least a hundred years," was the soft reply, as they moved in perfect synchronization, bodies molding to one another as if they knew one another from long before. "Why, do you?"

"Not for…at least 8," Avenger answered with a slightly embarrassed smile, knowing that his skills were likely slightly rusty from lack of use…and that his number was far less than hers. "I suppose it's a good thing that dance was a required part of a noble's training."

"So some things haven't changed since the beginning of history," the Geass Witch murmured, a somewhat wistful expression on her lips. "Though the servants have become more skilled, I see, even if tonight you are the black prince and I am one in red…"

"Heh…an interesting reversal is it not, C.C.?" he replied during the recovery of one of their dips, when they were close enough that no one could hear.

A quiet laugh, soft and musical as a bell, as the music changed to a tango, with the immortal pulling the Servant close.

"For tonight and tonight only, call me Cybele," she whispered warmly, as they stood cheek to cheek.

"As in the ancient goddess of the Earth?" Avenger asked, raising an eyebrow. "Was _that _who you were named for?"

"Not at all, it was I who they named _her_ after," the immortal rejoined mischievously.

And then they spoke no more, as they moved their bodies in tune to one other and the music, the rest of the world seeming to fade away into an illusion of shadow and flame.

* * *

**A/N****: **A few more developments, but soon onto dealing with the invasion, quite soon, I promise. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated!


	24. Warbling Echoes

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Lamperouge Residence, Ashford Academy**

"We hereby declare the resurrection of Japan as a lawful independent and sovereign nation!" boomed a voice from the tinny speakers of Lelouch Lamperouge's laptop, as the screen displayed a rather reedy man with beady little eyes standing in front of row upon row of Gun-Ru Knightmares. This was the voice of Atsushi Sawasaki, the former chief cabinet minister of the Kururugi administration—the man who had led a "liberation force" from the Chinese Federation to Area 11, and had apparently just finished taking over the island of Kyushu.

'_So, he has finished fortifying the area, while Britannia has been regrouping their forces and the Black Knights have been dealing with Kyoto…'_

All in all, not the best news for Avenger to deal with shortly after waking up, especially as he _knew_ that the moment he walked out of the Student Council Clubhouse, he would be swarmed by a legion of students and angry fangirls demanding to know who his dance partner had been last night, since nobody apparently had any information on the mysterious green-haired girl in red.

'…_well, nobody but myself and Sayoko, anyway…'_ the raven-haired prince amended, aware that the ninja maid was probably more knowledgeable about the situation than she let on, given that the heir to the Shinozaki School of Martial Arts _was_ a member of the Black Knights, and had, according to Zero, been an integral part of the operation to kill Servant Assassin.

"You certainly do know how to make my life complicated, witch," the Servant griped half-heartedly, turning to look with exasperation at the immortal witch currently sprawled out on his bed, wearing only one of his white dress shirts and looking at him with amused amber eyes. "Why exactly did you come to the ball last night?"

"Oh, you should know by now, it was because I felt like it," the Geass Witch replied, smirking as she was wont to do. "Besides, don't tell me you didn't enjoy it, servant boy."

"For a supposedly jaded immortal, you certainly like your dramatic entrances, don't you?" Avenger chuckled ruefully. "First you appear to the public in the guise of Zero, creating the Black Knights in the process, and now you cause a stir at Ashford as a mysterious beauty who appeared and stole me away from the crowds."

With a yawn, and a languid series of stretches that showed off her curves, the green-haired Code-bearer rolled out of bed, padding over to where her Servant sat studying the footage of the invasion.

_Flick! _

As was growing routine, C.C.'s fingers shot out and flicked the young man's forehead, knocking his head back with surprising strength.

"As if you have any right to comment on my flair for the dramatic," the witch scoffed, shaking her head. "Might I remind you of who literally jumped at the opportunity to act the part of a large ham?"

Lelouch started to voice an objection, but quickly thought better of it, settling for a grunt. He had the sneaking suspicion that exchanging barbs with an immortal that was privy to all one's secrets just wouldn't end well.

"I wouldn't quite call it being a ham," the Servant said, offering a token protest to maintain his bit of dignity, though even that bit collapsed at a _look_ from his master. "Well, not exactly. Well…fine, you have a point, witch."

"I always do," came the rather satisfied reply, "though I suppose that is part of what your fangirls like about you. A pity I can't rally them into an army, or Area 11 would have been ours much sooner."

With that, the green-haired girl peered over Lelouch's shoulder to see what her Champion was looking at.

"Speaking of armies…be sure to note the Knightmare Frame at the upper left corner of the screen," the immortal continued. "Looks rather like the Guren, doesn't it?"

"Indeed," Lelouch remarked, raising a slender eyebrow as he caught sight of a blue knightmare in the sea of Gun-Rus. "I was wondering about what that might be."

"That is a prototype Gekka, a mass production version of the Guren," the Witch replied flatly. "It is apparently the vanguard unit of the Chinese Federation, and superior to most Knightmares."

"…except for your Shen Hu, the Guren, and the two White Knightmares?" Avenger asked, annoyed at having to factor this into his calculations. "Only the Guren has lost its radiant wave surger…"

"Yes, and with the only other wave surger in existence apparently attached to the Gekka, replacing it is not going to be possible for a while."

Still, C.C. wasn't too upset, since they had acquired the Lancelot at the close of that operation, so at least they were still up to strength on advanced KMFs.

"Hence the idea for a joint operation with the Britannian military?" Lelouch asked skeptically, not sure how to take Zero's actions following the battle of Narita. "Or should I say with the Governor General, the designer of the white Knightmares?"

"Oh, don't worry, Avenger," the immortal returned, with one of those enigmatic smiles that she so loved to wear. "From what Rakshata tells me, the Earl of Pudding is about to sell out Britannia anyway."

"And why, praytell, would he do that?" the Servant inquired, suddenly intrigued despite himself. "I take it that this might have something to do with his unusual obsession with his creations?"

"Indeed," C.C. confirmed. "All the man really cares about is getting data for his designs, and considering that he can't use them against us due to the terms of surrender, with there being no other major groups in Area 11 to challenge him…"

"…all that's left is Britannia," Avenger said, breaking into a maniacal laugh that had even C.C. looking at him strangely.

"While I realize that this evil cackling business is stress relieving," the immortal commented dryly, rolling her eyes. "It's also habit forming, not to mention bad for your reputation as a 'hero'. Be careful that you don't become too much of a demon, Avenger."

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

But the two were interrupted by a rapping, rapping, rapping at the raven-haired prince's chamber door, with the witch slinking over to the door and opening it before Lelouch could say anything, much less react at all.

"Oh, good morning, Mistress C.C., I see you spent the night with Master Lelouch," greeted Sayoko Shinozaki, who was currently eying the state of undress of the two apparent teens with some interest. Given that Lelouch was currently shirtless, and C.C. was in nothing but one of the prince's shirts…it was quite easy to misunderstand the situation.

'_Oh my…Master Lelouch's hormones must have run quite rampant after the ball,'_ the ninja maid misunderstood, flushing slightly as the mental image of the two in an intimate embrace came into her head. _'How romantic, mistress and Servant, Zero and Avenger…'_

Seeing this, Lelouch fought the urge to cradle his forehead with his palms again, as one just knew that an update to Sayoko's cell phone novel "Midnight Prince" was going to be released sometime in the next few hours—a novel that had become quite popular among the girls at Ashford for some reason, as they seemed to think the novel was based on his actions.

'_A not quite accurate version of my actions, but nevertheless…'_

"And good morning to you, Sayoko," the immortal witch replied with a polite bow. "Thank you for helping coordinate everyone yesterday, as well as for your excellent work in the Assassin case."

"Think nothing of it, Mistress C.C.," the maid said politely. "It is my pleasure to serve. So will you be staying for breakfast?"

"Of course," the Witch replied, with just a hint too much amusement in her voice for Lelouch to find entirely comfortable. "It would be nice to see Nunnally again."

"Then I shall leave you to get ready," the ninja answered, stepping back and closing the door. "Please, don't let me interrupt, take as long as you need."

_Click!_

With that, the door closed, with C.C. looking over to Avenger, only to find him sitting motionless at his computer, credit card in hand.

"And what kind of pizza do you want for breakfast?" the Servant asked, resigned to a morning of more innocent yet deadly questions from Nunnally.

"Oh, and what makes you think I want pizza at all?" the immortal returned slyly.

Avenger just gave the Geass Witch a _look_, his lips twisting into a pained grimace.

"Considering that you appointed a member of the Black Knights as your official _Pizza Supplier_, I think I can guess your favorite food," the Servant shot back, recalling the infamous 'pudding incident' where Tamaki had thought he was about to get fired. "So what will it be? Pepperoni, California style, or Area 7, otherwise called Hawaiian?"

"Hmph, maybe you're becoming a proper Servant after all," the Grey Witch murmured approvingly. "As to the pizza, I think...something with pineapple."

"Ah, Area 7 it is then," the prince noted, placing the order on the Pizza Hut website. "I assume we head to the base after breakfast?"

"Naturally…there's been a delivery you might want to see."

At this, Avenger raised an eyebrow, peering at the witch curiously.

"One that I might find more interesting than pizza?" he asked dryly, knowing that there had been very few of those.

"Your words, not mine," C.C replied softly, brushing the prince's cheek with the back of her fingers. "Now come along, Avenger, let's get ready. Thanks to last night, you may need to cross-dress to leave campus again."

"…anything but that, witch," the Servant sighed resignation, leaning into the touch. "Sayoko already misunderstands the situation as it is. And think of the new rumors you've spawned with what you did."

"You weren't exactly complaining about it last night," the witch shot back, hauling the boy out of his chair over to pick out an outfit for the day – one of the 'Luluko' variety. "As I recall, you didn't see a need for words after a while."

"Neither did you, dear witch."

And with a roll of his eyes, the prince resigned himself to his fate.

* * *

**Vermillion Forbidden City in Luoyang, Chinese Federation**

"So Li Xingke has managed to secure the greatest fortress in Area 11," one of the High Eunuchs said to his brethren, as the true rulers of the Chinese Federation met to discuss the current situation. "Excellent. He advances our plans twofold, striking against the world's greatest supply of Sakuradite - and hence remaining out of our affairs. With that man out of the Chinese Federation, there is no one who can act against us."

A pleased round of murmurs, as it was widely known that Xingke's loyalties were biased a little too much towards the Tianzi and the commoners of the Chinese Federation, instead of towards the High Eunuchs, which was why the group thought him rather disposable. And if he were to die as a hero in battle against Britannian forces, or against the terrorist Zero, then they would be free of the taint of having eliminated him themselves.

'_After all, why should we of ruling classes have to get our hands dirty when there are always commoners to do our work for us?'_

"And the matter of the Britannian Prime Minister's offer?" asked another of the High Eunuchs, curious to see what his fellow rulers thought. "This whole business of offering us titles of nobility in exchange for arranging a political marriage with the Empress?"

"A truly generous and farsighted proposal from Prince Schneizel," came a somewhat nasal voice, from one of the shorter members of the group. "If we accept it, we would live in luxury and comfort for the rest of our lives, with no risk of peasant revolts or worries about other Eunuchs replacing us."

The rulers looked at one another, nodding at the wisdom of this. Joining with Britannia not only meant a lack of worry over succession and the "will of the people" (not that they much cared anyway, but one had to keep up appearances, otherwise there was the risk of revolt), but further, meant a great reduction of the cowardly men's risk of dying in war.

"And with Li Xingke out of the picture, his faction should be easily eliminated, isn't that correct?" one of the reedier Eunuchs asked, as the others smiled sinisterly.

"Precisely. Contact the Britannian Prime Minister…tell them that we accept their offer."

* * *

**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

The day after the masquerade ball, the campus was a rather quiet place, with classes having been canceled in the morning, and many revelers sleeping in, recovering from the thrills of the night before. Among those who were awake however, rumors had begun to spread of the visitors to the ball—rumors about who had come, for instance, who had danced with who, and most of all, who the stranger was that had simply walked into the dance hall and stolen everyone's breath away—before proceeding claim a dance from the legendary ice prince of Ashford.

'_Man, even when everyone is wearing a mask, Lelouch still has all the luck_,' a certain Secretary of the Student Council thought bitterly. _'And who _was_ that girl? It wasn't Kallen, that's for sure, so maybe she and Lelouch aren't going out, but…'_

Rivalz was rather perplexed, but resigned to the supremacy of Ashford Academy's dark prince in all his guises. Which didn't mean that it didn't torment him to see just how much attention Lelouch got from everyone, even (or especially) within the confines of the Student Council, where Milly saw him as a model subordinate, Shirley pined after him, and Kallen was dating him (or so Rivalz thought, anyway).

With nothing else to do, the blue-haired boy headed towards the Student Council Clubhouse, thinking that he might be able to see Milly there—which was really, all he wanted. The poor lad had not been able to dance with her the night before, with Milly monopolizing first Lelouch and then Shirley, after the green-haired girl had stolen Lelouch away. The only one he'd managed to dance with had been Nina, and only one dance or two, before the shy girl had somehow found herself over at the buffet table, talking with someone who Rivalz _thought_ was the Governor General.

'_Who invited him? Really…I mean, whoever that guy was, he ate all the pudding!'_

He supposed it was possible that Nina might have invited the Earl, since she did idolize the man as a scientist—or that Milly might have, on her family's orders to improve their status as nobility…but what about the green-haired girl in that scandalous red dress?

'_Lelouch? But that's impossible – he was with Milly from the moment he found out about the ball until it started—and he doesn't know anyone from outside of Ashford, does he? Not a girl like _that_ anyway!'_

Truly, it was one of the great mysteries of Ashford Academy – and where had Milly found a costume like that for Lelouch anyway? The Vice President had looked very much like a member of royalty in his outfit, to say nothing of mere nobility—and exactly where had he learned to dance like _that?_

'_I guess even Lelouch has some hidden depths,'_ Rivalz thought to himself, in despair, as he approached the clubroom of the Student Council—only to pause at the door as he heard some strange noises. Scraping sounds, perhaps? Or squishing? Then a gasp, as the Secretary could take no more, and opened the door to find Nina slumped on the sofa, looking like she was dizzy, about to pass out, a magazine with pictures from the hoteljacking incident in her hand.

"Nina, are you alright?" the boy asked, concerned.

It took a few moments for the girl to answer, or to even realize that Rivalz was in the room with her, though her eyes went wide in shock as she seemed to come back to reality.

"Oh, Rivalz, it's nothing…nothing at all," the pigtailed girl denied, closing her eyes and lying back down. "I just felt a little faint, that's all, from having all those people around last night."

"I see, well, it can't be helped, you've always been shy," Rivalz replied, his nose wrinkling as he detected a slightly musky odor in the air. "So what did you think about the ball last night?"

"It was nice to talk to meet and talk with Professor Asplund at last!" the girl gushed, recalling the discussion they had had on particle physics. And then her eyes grew distant, almost misty. "And I thought I saw…Princess Euphemia there."

"So Kallen and she…"

"They were in the garden together…I think…they kissed," came the reply.

"I see. They kisse-say _WHAT?ǃ_" the Student Council Secretary did a double-take, his face twisted with incredulity. "So then…wow. I always thought she was dating Lelouch. I mean, they did look good together as the Black Prince and the Black Princess during the one dance they had together."

_Bang!_

The door slammed open, with a somewhat irate Shirley walking in. The orangette was not particularly pleased—true, Lelouch had asked her to dance once…but it had only been once, after which he had been stolen by that green-haired hussy and Milly had teased _her_ about it for the rest of the night.

"Rivalz, you're Lulu's best friend, aren't you?" the member of the swim team asked sharply.

Feeling himself compelled to answer, Rivalz just nodded.

"Can I help you with something, Shirley?" the boy asked, trying to mollify the girl, to calm her down from whatever was making her upset.

"Do you know who the girl dancing with Lulu was?" the orangette asked sharply.

And there it was, the question that had been on the tip of everyone's tongue, though none as much as Shirley, who was worried sick over this potential new rival for Lelouch's affections. First Kallen, now this new girl…who next? Milly and Princess Euphemia?

'_No…no, don't think about it,'_ the girl thought to herself. _'If you think about it, you'll only jinx it to be true…'_

"I wish I knew," was all Rivalz could say. "But where's Milly?"

A frustrated sigh from Shirley.

"She's off at her media internship again…apparently something urgent came up."

* * *

**Aries Villa Replica Gardens, Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

As a child of a noble family, Kallen Kozuki had long gotten used to the comforts that that status could provide, even if she made the choice to reject that side of her heritage and instead fight for the freedom of Japan. And yet, the redhead had never expected to find herself in the private villa only used by the Governor General and the Sub-Viceroy, much less walking through the beautiful aerial gardens built on its roof.

'_This is just like the place in the painting,'_ the Black Knight realized with a start. _'The place where Lelouch and Nunnally lived before their mother was killed and their home taken away from them.'_

Before they had been sent as hostages to what was then Japan—and abandoned for dead when the Britannians invaded.

"So you recognize it from the painting," came the soft voice of Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia, from where she stood next to Kallen, holding the redhead's hand.

The Black Knight simply nodded, answering with a "Yeah."

"I wanted to show you this place, something of my past, since you showed me what things were like in Shinjuku," the pink haired princess said demurely. "I don't usually come to these gardens because of the memories, but…"

Feeling a faint tremor course through the Sub-Viceroy's body, Kallen squeezed Euphie's hand supportively, smiling ever so slightly as she felt the princess squeeze back.

"Thank you for sharing it with me," Kallen murmured. "I know it has to be hard on you to be here."

Then Princess Euphemia looked up and over at Kallen, studying her with her eyes.

"It was," the pink-haired princess allowed, looking around as if to confirm that no one else was present. "But…now…"

"Yes?" Kallen asked gently.

"Lelouch," the Sub-Viceroy uttered, a name of someone that had been her first love long ago. "He's alive, isn't he?"

"And what makes you think that?" the redhead said, somewhat evasively.

"What Avenger said during the hoteljacking, and how he knew I was there," Euphemia mused aloud, looking at the Black Knight with a sense of hope. "Kallen…is Avenger…?"

"It's not my place to tell you who Avenger is," the Black Knight replied gently but firmly. "That is something you have to ask the man himself."

"I see…then can you answer something for me?" the princess asked, hope and fear written in all her features. "Are Lelouch and Nunnally…do you think…they're still alive?"

Kallen was quiet for several long moments, looking away and staring into the distance. On one hand, she didn't want to reveal any identities, but on the other…

"Yeah," she said at last, to give a _hypothetical_ answer. "I'm sure they're just fine."

Euphie smiled then, the warmest expression Kallen had ever seen from anyone, as tightly embraced the redhead and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you…Kallen Stadtfeld, my dear friend."

"Its Kozuki," the Black Knight corrected. "My name is Kallen Kozuki."

* * *

**Black Knights Submarine, Coastal Waters of Area 11**

In deference to Zero's power and the demonstrated abilities of the Black Knights, the Six Houses of Kyoto had made good on their word, providing the Knights with a high-speed submarine to serve as a mobile base. It was quite useful for a number of reasons, as it was cloaked from enemy detection by a number of onboard Gefjun Disturbers, was capable of storing Knightmares for rapid deployment of force, and furthermore, was capable of defending itself from enemies, with its torpedoes, cruise missile launchers and Slash Harkens.

The Knights as a whole were quite pleased with this development, as well as the guaranteed support of Kyoto, with their faith in Zero and Avenger increased more than ever. Not only had their leaders gotten them recognition on the net as heroes, obtained Knightmares and vehicles without difficulty, and led them to victory at Narita (even defeating the Britannians' most advanced Knightmares)—but now, they were the sole group to receive funding and support from Kyoto, displacing the now defunct Japanese Liberation Front.

To say the least, for things to have come so far was a huge accomplishment in the eyes of those who had once been mere resistance fighters, and yet now were Knights of Justice.

But more than the submarine itself, the most valuable recent addition to the Knights' number had been a certain Indian scientist by the name of Rakshata Chawla, an eccentric but brilliant graduate of the Imperial Colchester Institute who had designed the Guren and the Shen Hu, as well as the Gefjun Disturber technology the Knights relied on these days.

Thus she, Zero and Avenger stood on the deck of the surfaced submarine, awaiting the delivery that was supposed to meet them at sea.

"Over to the east," Zero spoke first, pointing toward two dots in the horizon, growing larger as they approached, one an agile white in the sun, the other a more languid midnight purple, coming closer and closer until they could be identified as Knightmares.

"Oh my," Rakshata stated, raising and eyebrow and almost dropping her pipe at the sight of the approaching Knightmares. "Two float system equipped Knightmare Frames? How distasteful…curse that Earl of Pudding!"

Zero and Avenger both looked at one another for a moment, rolling their eyes behind their masks, then turned back to the duo of aerial frames, which in a matter of moments more, came in for a landing, touching down gently on the deck of the submarine, as the pilots emerged—with Cecile Croomy stepping out of the Lancelot Club, and—a masked Milly Ashford exiting the Gawain, both of which approached the commanders of the Black Knights, Cecile bowing and the masked Ashford moving to stand beside them.

"Greetings, Zero and Avenger of the Black Knights," the blue-haired woman said formally. "And to you too, Rakshata."

"Well, if it isn't little Cecile," Rakshata replied, taking a puff on her pipe. "Still running errands for that Earl of Pudding, I see."

"The presence of these Knightmares means you have good news for us, I expect," Zero added gently.

"Indeed, then I'll get straight to the point," Cecile acknowledged. "The Governor General has come to a decision about your offer after Narita."

"And?" Zero pressed, already knowing the answer.

"Lloyd has agreed to your terms," the Director of Camelot replied. "The reinforcements from the Pacific Fleet have arrived, so we will soon be ready to launch an assault on Fukuoka Base, with the Lancelot Club and the Gawain working in concert with your advanced Knightmares."

"The Gawain, is it?" inquired Rakshata, already looking over the frame. "Hadron Cannon armament, I see."

"Yes, but unfortunately, the weapon is—"

"Still under development, because of the problematic blooming effect," the Indian scientist interjected, with a smirk on her face. "Oh, I do look forward to tinkering with this…"

"You'll have the chance," Cecile answered evenly, looking at both her and Zero. "As a token of our sincerity about an alliance, we are giving you the Gawain."

"Somehow I doubt that that Earl of Pudding used such gracious terms," Rakshata said dryly.

"Well, his actual words were more along the lines of 'why should that damned woman be the only one whose equipment gets field tested,' to be perfectly honest," the Director of Camelot admitted, knowing that Rakshata knew Lloyd well enough to understand what he would say.

Rakshata only laughed at this.

"He hasn't changed, has he?" the Indian scientist asked sympathetically. "And neither have you, always his minder."

"Neither have you," Cecile rejoined, before turning her attention back to Zero and extending her hand.

"So, you and Governor General will be joining us then?" the masked commander of the Black Knights inquired, taking the scientist's hand.

"Yes," Cecile replied, grasping Zero's hand and shaking it firmly. "With this, our fortunes are joined."

Off to the side, Milly just turned to Avenger.

"Well well, Lulu," the blonde murmured. "It looks like we'll be piloting something together again. Just like old times with the Ganymede, eh?"

To that, Avenger only chuckled, giving Milly's hand a gentle squeeze.

"So it seems, so it seems," he whispered in the winds. "I look forward to it."

* * *

**A/N**: The Counterattack on Kyushu begins in the next chapter. Alliances are cemented, questions are raised, and courses are set. Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated!


	25. Madder Quartet

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Black Knights Submarine, Coastal Waters of Area 11**

With the new Knightmare _Gawain_ safely in the hands of Rakshata Chawla, the leader of the Black Knights' research team (as much as any machine was safe in her hands), and the cooperation of the Governor General of Area 11 assured, the immortal witch C.C. was well pleased.

'_The remaining resistance groups in Area 11 have joined the Black Knights—Ohgi has been busy coordinating them. As well, four Servants have fallen in the Eden Vital War, though the ones remaining will likely be the most difficult, as Saber and Caster traditionally have had rather powerful abilities,'_ Zero mused silently, as she walked with Avenger through the corridors of the Black Knights' Submarine towards the conference room, where the ranking officers waited._ 'Unfortunately, each of those Servants is part of a different country, and I do not relish the thought of a two front war—we will need to find a way to neutralize the Chinese Federation in preparation for our assault upon Britannia.'_

While taking care of the force that had invaded Kyushu would be a rather simple exercise, thanks to the four advanced Knightmare Frames available for use-the Shen Hu, the Lancelot, and the Gawain, which Rakshata and her team were busy optimizing, as well as Cecile Croomy's Lancelot Club-Zero knew that that would not be the end of the Chinese Federation's involvement.

True, the High Eunuchs were currently using Sawasaki's "government in exile" as a smokescreen to disguise their intentions, but it was clear enough to the immortal that what they wanted was territory and power—especially as they had attacked only in the wake of the unrest caused by Zero and the Black Knights.

'_The man is nothing more than a puppet, as Kyoto and Britannia well know…and I would not be surprised if Britannia had a plan in mind to counter this act of aggression, besides simply crushing them militarily,'_ Zero thought to herself, glancing momentarily at her Servant. _'Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia is certainly enough of a schemer for something like that, and deft enough diplomatically to accept this _fait accompli_, while twisting it for his own ends.'_

"So Avenger, which do you think Britannia considers the bigger threat?" Zero asked of her Servant, knowing the wraith of vengeance's sharp mind. "The Order of Black Knights or the Chinese Federation?"

"On paper, it would be the Chinese Federation, as that alliance does hold one-third of the world's population," replied the man wrapped in of shadow and flame. "However, like Britannia, the rulers of that nation are corrupt, oppressive and despotic, crushing the weak under their collective heels."

"So…that would make us public enemy number one, eh?" asked a masked Milly Ashford, who was walking to Zero's other side, wearing a typical Black Knight uniform. "Since you've humbled more than one of their armies, and can't be bought off."

"Indeed…once he regenerates, V.V. will no doubt see things that way, since I am the greatest threat to _his_ continued existence," the immortal acknowledged, grimacing under her mask. "Which makes it all the more likely that Britannia will pursue a deal of some kind with the Chinese Federation, no matter which way this particular battle goes."

"So then our next step before declaring independence," Avenger surmised, glancing at his comrades, "will have to be neutralizing the Chinese Federation as a threat, since a two front war would be…inadvisable."

"Britannia no doubt thinks the same way, now that they are embroiled in another war with the Euro Universe," Milly added, recalling the information she had gathered from the various news outlets she was in charge of interacting with. "You certainly like to get yourself mixed up in risky situations, Avenger."

_Hiss!_

As the trio approached the lift at the end of the corridor, the door slid open, revealing a young raven-haired girl of no more than 14, dressed in finery that marked her as a member of the Six Houses of Kyoto.

"Ah, you are Sumeragi's…" Zero began, only for the overly-enthusiastic Kaguya to walk up to Avenger, looking the sub-commander of the Black Knights up and down as if finding something tasty.

"Thank goodness I made it in time, before you all headed off to battle!" gushed Kaguya Sumeragi, the young head-mistress of Kyoto. "I've been a huge fan of you and Zero ever since your debut! I was hoping that I'd finally get to talk to you…"

'_Great. Another fangirl. As if the ones at Ashford and all over the internet weren't enough…'_

Underneath his mask, Lelouch fought the urge to wince, reminding himself that while this might be a fangirl, she was also a fangirl that actually mattered in and that it was important to stay on good terms with, given her role within the organization responsible for giving the Black Knights so much of their equipment.

"Lady Kaguya Sumeragi, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," Avenger spoke formally, inclining his head.

Formality, however, didn't seem to be in Kaguya's plans, as she used her hands to compare her height with Avenger, in an overly animated manner.

"Wow, you're really tall, aren't you?" the young head of Kyoto babbled, beaming at the Servant, quite quite enthused. "Don't worry though, I'll catch up with you pretty soon!"

"Were the heads of the Six Houses not to remain in Fuji?" Zero asked gently, arching an eyebrow under her mirrored mask.

"I stowed away on the submarine, so I could watch my future husband fight," the young princess returned coquettishly, winking at Avenger, with Milly wanting to laugh and groan at the same time, and Zero reflecting that at least this time Lelouch's ability to attract fangirls had actually led to material and political gain.

'_If all of Avenger's fangirls were this helpful, this war would already be over…'_ the immortal mused quietly, rather amused by the sight. For it was already more or less a proven fact that no matter what guise Lelouch vi Britannia appeared in, masked or unmasked, male or female, apathetic quiet Vice President or hammy revolutionary, the man could attract fangirls like none other.

"Don't joke around," Avenger chided gently.

"Well, once you free Japan, you'll eventually need a wife, won't you?" the young girl pressed, unperturbed. "I mean, I know your identity—like Zero's—is a secret, but you'll need someone to act as your public face, right?"

"And you think we will succeed where all others have failed?" Lelouch asked, curious as to what the girl would say, what reasoning she would give.

"Of course, I am the goddess of the victory after all!" Kaguya chirped, with Avenger blinking several times while he processed those words.

"Under normal circumstances I'd be lucky to have you," Avenger returned easily. "Unfortunately, as you may have heard, I'm something of a demon, so I have little room in my life for deities right now."

Kaguya pouted, but said nothing more, opting only to follow the trio as they made their way to the conference room, where they were greeted with expectant looks from the other members of the Black Knights.

"So what's the plan, Zero?" asked Internal Cleaning Supporter Tamaki, with the hot-blooded man eager to go into battle as always.

"Our negotiations with the Governor General have been successful, meaning that soon, our dream of a truly independent Japan will be realized," the masked immortal declared, in a voice that carried out to the corners of the room. "However, we first need to eliminate the invaders from the Chinese Federation, led by their puppet Sawasaki."

"But he says he's fighting for Japan," one of the Four Holy Swords brought up.

"He's not independent," Zero replied, her masked gaze swiveling to pierce the questioner. "The Japan he fights for is but a sham, granting us a new name but nothing else. In reality, the High Eunuchs of the Chinese Federation would bleed this new 'Japan' dry, just as Britannia has done these last nine years, replacing one set of oppressors with another."

"In other words," another one of the Four Holy Swords clarified, "when Britannia strikes back, we play dead?"

"No," Avenger corrected sharply, his voice echoing in the metal walled room. "The main Britannian strike force is but a diversion for a joint operation of with ours with the Britannian Special Engineering Corps—their conventional forces will distract the enemy and hold them at bay, while our advanced Knightmare Frames take Fukuoka Base and force Sawasaki to surrender."

"Cooperate? With Britannians? But for what?" asked another of the Black Knights.

"For the sake of a free and united Japan," Zero replied firmly, looking from member to member of the Knights. "In reality, it is not so much us cooperating with the Britannians as much as the Governor General cooperating with us—just as he will cooperate with us in raising the specter of rebellion against the Holy Britannian Empire, making all of Area 11 an independent nation."

To say the least, reactions were rather…varied. Some members had been expecting this, given Zero's history of audacious plans. Others were seen with jaws hanging open and eyes bulging out at the immortal's words.

"Independent?" some repeated, "A nation?" others. Some were incredulous and even a little frightened at the prospect of facing down the entirety of Britannia. Being part of a group that fought for justice and dealt with a regional army was one thing, but against a world power…

"Wait a minute," spoke Tamaki, Zero's words having thrown some cold water on his hot blood. "No matter how the Black Knights have expanded—"

"Our enemy is an empire that controls one third of the world," finished Kyoshiro Tohdoh of the Four Holy Swords.

"Even with the backing of these regional forces…"

"Valid points one and all," the immortal acknowledged, gesturing dramatically for silence with her upraised hands. "But answer this…are you just going to sit back and wait for someone else to defeat Britannia?"

A moment of deafening silence as her gaze swept out, touching each of her subordinates in turn, finding that none would answer her.

"Who?" C.C. pressed, continuing her little speech. "Do you think if you wait long enough, someday the right chance will finally come? Don't be naive."

Her voice was dark, haunted from long years of experience on the battlefield, as the green-haired witch had seen many nations succumb to the yoke of tyranny, and many passing up opportunities for freedom out of fear or uncertainty.

"If not us, then who?" she challenged, daring any in the room to oppose her. "If not now, then when? We are the ones who have shown the world that not even Britannia is invincible, that their Chief General was as vulnerable on the battlefield as any other bully who preys on the weak. We are the ones who have shown the world that miracles are possible—so if we do not stand up and take up our swords against Britannia, will the dream of freedom ever be realized?"

"Each of you standing here today made a choice to join the Black Knights," Avenger added into the silence. "Each of you made a choice to join with Zero and myself, the mortal enemies of Britannia, against our common foe—as have the Governor General of Area 11 and those serving him. With this opportunity before us to strike a mortal blow to our oppressors and show the world the futility of their actions, will you not seize it? Will you not fight for the miracle that is rightfully ours?"

* * *

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

In the wake of Kallen's departure to rejoin her comrades, as well as the Governor General's absence (with the man currently on board the _Avalon_ coordinating the fleet_)_, Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia was sitting alone at her desk, thinking about the events that had transpired over the past few days, as well as Zero's open offer.

'_So Kallen is a Black Knight after all, and one of Zero's most trusted subordinates,'_ the princess thought to herself, noting that her dear friend—or was she something more?—was one of those that could be considered an enemy of Britannia. But then, was Britannia really in the right? And if it wasn't, what could she do about it? _'Compared to Cornelia or Schneizel, I've always been just a burden to those around me, without power—until I came here to Area 11, where Earl Asplund gave me much of the responsibilities of a full Viceroy, even though I was just a figurehead. And now I have the opportunity to do something to help Lelouch and Nunnally…'_

If her suspicions that Avenger really was Lelouch were correct, then was her path not clear? According to Zero, the Emperor himself had condoned the murder of Marianne by the mysterious V.V.—and after being confronted with the evidence of Zero's conversation with the pilot of the Knight Giga Fortress, Euphie could certainly believe that there was some truth to those rumors, with the existence of the orange aerial assault craft only lending weight to the revolutionary's argument, as one did not get the funding or technology to create such a powerful assault craft from nowhere.

'_If it was in Area 11, then Clovis was certainly involved, since the Viceroy has almost absolute power in a given area,' _the pink haired princess mused silently, her lips twisting into a frown as she studied some of the files that Lloyd had so…kindly…left for her to peruse, files containing rather technical descriptions of how a test subject had been tortured repeatedly, unable to die. _'So that is the truth of Code-R, also called Project C.C…'_

It surprised her to learn that Clovis had been intimately involved with this project, since Euphie had always thought of Clovis as a rather gentle man, despite his ambitions—and more so, just how much Clovis had done against the Eleven population. She didn't want to believe it, yet the evidence was there, staring her in the face.

'_And in a confrontation between what one wants to believe and evidence, one goes with the evidence…'_

For example, the evidence of her senses and memory (as well as Kallen's words) that Lelouch might very well be alive. And if that were indeed the case, and Lelouch was also Avenger, then she had no reason left to remain on the side of Britannia, the country that had betrayed everyone she cared about.

'_I can't just sit and watch as everyone around me fights,'_ the Sub-Viceroy resolved, determination blazing in her eyes. _'This time, I won't be a burden…I will take matters into my own two hands. I…will join Zero in her crusade against Britannia.'_

**

* * *

**

**Aerial Battleship Avalon**

On board the _Avalon_, the flagship of the Area 11 Fleet, Governor General Lloyd Asplund seemed unexpectedly—calm. Given the fierce storm around Kyushu that was preventing him from deploying the Lancelot Club, the many losses his naval fleet had taken, and the fact that he was a rather inexperienced commander, one would expect the man to be showing more signs of stress, but there were none. The storm would abate in time, his conventional units were but a diversion to keep the Chinese Federation from realizing his true intentions, and the true operation had already been planned out by Zero, who had proven herself more than competent in the past.

'_Good…the Chinese Federation forces believe the landing parties to be the real strike…the Four Knights of Chaos… '_

From his command station, the Earl of Pudding received an incoming transmission from the hanger deck, accepting it to see Cecile Croomy sitting within the cockpit of the Lancelot Club, already dressed in her figure hugging orange pilot suit.

"Ah, Cecile, are you prepared for what's to come?" the Earl of Pudding asked, receiving a quiet nod from his former assistant.

"I will do whatever the mission demands," the Director of Camelot replied, her entire posture radiating a sense of focused readiness. "Or in this case, what our allies require of me."

"Good…it seems the weather is clearing up," the Governor General mused aloud. "We have to finish this up if we to put our future plan into action."

"Right," Cecile acknowledged, looking around the bridge of the airship towards the meteorological sensors. "I assume our operation plan remains unchanged?"

"Incoming missiles, launch point appears to be Fukuoka Base!" one of the airship's operators shouted in a panicked voice, though Lloyd remained calm. "One minute, five seconds to impact!"

"Not bad," the Earl commented, giving no order to evade or deploy point defense, much to the incredulity of his subordinates. "They're well prepared against air raids as well."

_Rumble! Boom!_

Such was the sound of numerous missiles impacting against the Blaze Luminous shielding of the _Avalon_, detonating with enough force to wipe out a squadron of aircraft—and leaving the _Avalon_ unscathed, with some of the operators apparently surprised to be alive and in one piece.

"Heh, the Blaze Luminous is already proven on the battlefield," the Governor General commented in his disturbingly serene manner. "Cecile, the current operation plan remains unchanged. The _Avalon_ will breech the enemy's front line from high altitude and move directly to the launch point. The Z-01b Lancelot Club, using the Float Unit, will attack the enemy at Fukuoka Base."

What he left unsaid (but both of them knew) was that the launch would be the signal for the Black Knights to begin their own assault.

"Roger," came the voice of the calm and collected Cecile. "Lancelot Club Z-01b now launching!"

And with that, the White Knightmare hurtled off the Avalon's launch catapult into the air, its Float System coming online as it sped for its target.

_Whirr! Slash! BOOM!_

Enemy helicopters and other aircraft dared to get in her way, launching a barrage of missiles at the Lancelot Club, blocked some, dodged others, and countered with a storm of blades, slash harkens, particle blasts, leaving a trail of explosions in her wake.

_Whirr! Whoosh!_

Moving more quickly than one might expect, it tore through enemy formations with ease, its Float System allowing it perfect mobility, without having to worry about the pull of gravity.

_Crunch!_

The sound of Slash Harkens ripping apart several fragile assault helicopters.

_Fssh—boom!_

The sound of a MVS sword shearing through one of the many Gun-Ru gathered to welcome her on the ground, the first Knight of the apocalypse for the hapless forces gathered at Fukuoka Base.

**

* * *

**

**Black Knights Submarine, Off the Coast of Kyushu**

"Zero, this is the control room," reported one of the Black Knights, monitoring the situation by radar, rather wary since the submarine was surfaced and as such only had its Gefjun Disturbers to prevent it from being detected. "The Avalon has launched their advanced Knightmare Frame."

Indeed, there was little enough else that the quick moving blip on the radar screen could be, given the launch point and heading.

'_So…the Earl of Pudding has lived up to his side of the agreement,'_ the masked immortal thought to herself, rather pleased that things were working out the way they were. _'Time for us to play our part then.'_

"Avenger, Rider, this is Zero," C.C. spoke into her radio. "We have confirmation of launch. Begin Operation Shitennou. The Gawain will serve as Lancelot's backup for the assault against the base—I will deal with the landing craft and other ships, holding off Saber, if necessary."

"Roger," came the reply, as the Black Knights' advanced Knightmares powered up and took off from the deck, with the Shen Hu and the Gawain soaring high into the sky, and the Lancelot veering off to link up with the Lancelot Club, almost skimming the surface of the water to avoid detection by enemy radar.

'_The Shen Hu and Gawain both have stealth systems, thanks to the Gefjun Disturber—and are armed with powerful particle beam weapons, so they are the logical choices to intervene once the Lancelot and the Lancelot Club have attracted attention.'_

In the cockpit of the Lancelot, Kallen was feeling a sense of fierce exultation as her new Knightmare swooped through the air—many many times this frame had been used against her, and now…now, it was finally hers.

'_At last, I too, can fly…we will win this battle, thanks to Avenger and Zero, and then Japan will be free!'_

In the Gawain, Milly was doing most of the piloting as the oversized KMF followed the Lancelot at a distance, while Lelouch was studying how the battle was going via the display of the druid system, searching for a strong point in enemy forces to assault, hadron cannons at the ready.

'_Excellent…so the assault begins.'_

In the distance, a massive beam of energy lanced forth from the Shen Hu's Baryon Cannon, sweeping across the seas and _annihilating _what remained of the Chinese Federation's ships in one massive blow, the pyramid-shaped landing craft exploding one by one in a beautiful orgy of destruction.

'_If I can simply capture Saber, most likely the pilot of the blue knightmare, then there is a good chance I can negotiate with the Chinese Federation. Failing that, as Sabers tend to be rather good by nature, I may be able to use him or her as a weapon against the Eunuchs...and of course, what better way to repair the Guren than to use the Gekka's surger?'_

_

* * *

**A/N**: _So it begins indeed. Expect a nice battle to come in the next chapter, as the "Four Knightmares of the Apocalypse" descend upon the gathered Chinese Federation forces, and Zero continues to scheme. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated!


	26. Veiled Intentions

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Fukuoka Base, Kyushu**

Ensconced within the matchless defenses of Fukuoka Base, the greatest fortress in all of Area 11, Sawasaki Atsushi and General Zhao, the two commanders of the invasion-or the "liberation" of Japan, as they referred to it-stood, surveying the results that Chinese Federation troops had obtained in mere days.

"It is a stroke of good fortune that this storm hit," commented General Zhao, in his distinctive traditional dress uniform of red and white tunic and trousers. "We should take advantage of this to tighten our grip on Kyushu."

Sawasaki Atsushi, former Chief Cabinet Minister of the Kururugi Administration, acknowledged the comment with the smug smile and blithe disregard for lives spent like water typical of short-sighted power-hungry bureaucrats who cared naught for the sufferings of others.

"You see, General Zhao," the reedy man needled. "Heaven is on our side. We're going to prevail in this battle with ease. Already all of Kyushu has fallen to the valiant troops of the Chinese Federation."

So far, things had been going quite well for their "liberation" effort, as the sheer number of troops and Gun-Ru Knightmares that could be brought to bear in any given encounter had wiped out the somewhat technologically superior, but massively outnumbered, Britannian forces. Each _Longdan_ and _Da Longdan _mobile fortress, besides simply bristling with cannons, played host to hundreds, if not thousands of KMFs, and in the face of such overwhelming power, nothing could stop the invasion.

Or so at least, the two thought, noting that all efforts to thwart their advance had been quickly dispatched, until—

"Enemy airship is entering the defense perimeter," one of the nameless subordinates reported, tracking signals on the tactical map. "It appears to the Britannian _Avalon. _Launching surface to air missiles now."

A little over a minute later, the missiles impacted, exploding in an impressive show of fire and smoke that in their minds had resulted in the destruction of the Avalon. After all, no matter how powerful a ship was, there was no way it could survive being hit by dozens of surface to air missiles, right?

"Heh," Sawasaki scoffed, amused more than anything else. "Even if it is state of the art, a single ship couldn't possibl—what the…?"

His last two words came out in a startled hiss as the symbol of the Avalon remained, with the airship continuing to approach Fukuoka Base, its pace unabated. It wasn't possible—it simply wasn't possible for—

"The enemy ship seems to have launched a bomber, but its moving faster than a fighter plane!" a panicked voice reported, strained with disbelief first at the survival of the ship—and wondering what kind of fiendish retaliation it would employ. "Commander, we have visual."

Shocked murmurs and unbelieving whispers erupted in the command center, as a flying white Knightmare was revealed, not transported by one of the common VTOLs, but simply flying on its own, carving a blazing trail of fiery destruction through the skies as it penetrated the aerial defenses emplaced around the fortress.

"That weapons report…the advanced Knightmare frame…could this be it?" Sawasaki sputtered, incredulous at the amount of devastation being wrought by this one unit. True, Britannian Knightmares were known to be superior to the technology of the Chinese Federation—but by this much?

"But then—"

General Zhao broke off mid-sentence as another contact registered on the tactical screen, moving with equal, if not superior speed, with visuals confirming that it was a second White Knightmare.

'_What? But didn't Britannia only have…'_

"Sir! We've lost contact with the entire Longdan fleet!" one of the technicians shouted, no longer able to restrain himself in his panic.

"What?ǃ But how—"

"I see. These flying Knightmares were only a diversion for some kind of fiendish new weapon," General Zhao reasoned, not _completely_ incorrect in his deduction. "Deploy Li Xingke's special strike team to identify and destroy the threat at once—meanwhile, all Gun-Rus are to prioritize the destruction of the Britannian Knightmares. We cannot lose this battle!"

At the given order, five Gekka Knightmares (one test-type equipped with a radiant wave surger and chainsword, accompanied by four production models equipped only with dual wielded chainswords) raced out of the base, heading towards the direction in which the attack had come.

'_For the glory of the Tianzi, I will not fail!'_

* * *

**Mid-Air, Operation Shitennou**

Like a streak of light, the White Knightmare Z-01 Lancelot shot forth from the submarine of the Black Knights, swiftly carrying Servant Rider into striking range of the enemy. She stayed low at first, picking up speed while remaining undetected—then shot up into the sky towards the aerial pickets of the Chinese Federation's invasion force, her twin VARIS rifles disgorging death in all directions as Rider struck down her foes mercilessly, showing them the same regard that they had showed to others-that was to say, none.

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

To the credit of the numerous Gun-Ru pilots, they reacted quickly to the sudden intrusion of a new "Reaper in White", their machine guns and autocannons unloading round after round of high explosive ammunition in an attempt to take down the White Knightmare.

'_Is that the best you can do?' _Rider thought scornfully, evading the shrapnel with ease, her awareness expanding once more as she took in every detail of her surroundings through the factspheres on the Lancelot, activating her Geass.

'_Trajectory trace…on!'_

And it was here that the Chinese Federation learned the _disadvantage_ of having so many units on a battlefield, as their high volume of fire changed direction in mid-air, with whatever rounds did not miss the Lancelot entirely being absorbed into a great vortex, an almost impenetrable shield of whirling metal shards that grew larger, larger, ever larger—

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

'_So many enemies…so much many projectiles…dwarfing Saitama…' _Rider thought to herself, gritting her teeth to keep from overheating her mind with the power of the Geass. _'Tracking…tracking…tracking—oh hell, time for you to see what this badass Servant can do!'_

_WHOOM!_

For an instant, the world pulsed red, then white, a familiar pain taking shape behind Rider's eyes as the enemy Knightmares expended more and more and more rounds of ammunition in an attempt to shoot down this harbinger of doom—and then the Servant's lips twisted into a savage predatory grin, simply _reversing_ the trajectory of all the shrapnel, sending it back towards the ones who had fired.

It was then that many poor souls learned the meaning of fear—feeling death in their spines as the deadly projectiles which had earlier destroyed all Britannian resistance were turned against them, having just enough time for their faces to twist in stunned realization before—

_Clatter-clatter-BOOM! _

—human bodies, Knightmare Frames, stationary turrets all were ripped apart by the deadly hail of high explosive rounds that they themselves had fired, the debris and shrapnel of their dying only fueling the whirlwind of retribution upon which the Lancelot seemed to ride, an unavoidable storm of vengeance reaping lives with ease.

"Its…a demon…" some shrieked, while others recognized the technique. "Oh god…Zero…its Zero…!"

"AUUUGHHHH!"

Some, smarter than others, tried to evade, preferring dishonor to death—but to no avail, as the massed ranks of the Chinese Federation forces—the same thing that had granted them victory in the past—sealed their doom.

_Whirr! Whirr! BOOM!_

Fire, rubble, shrapnel, unspent ammunition, all these and more heralded the arrival of the Lancelot as it plowed through everything that stood in its way, with a dissonantly musical laugh coming from its speakers.

"Haven't you heard?" the redhead taunted her foes. "The only ones who should shoot…are those prepared to be shot!"

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

More tracers of fire blazed out at the White Knightmare, but to no avail, as Rider simply altered the paths of these, too, breathing hard as her mind and body were strained beyond what she had before experienced, reducing those that attacked her to scrap metal.

And then the shooting stopped, as what few guns survived in the wake of her passing fell silent, realizing the futility of attacking head on.

'_Hmm, so maybe they've learned that its futile to shoot…' _Rider thought to herself, as she sought out the other White Knightmare, noting that even without Geass, the pilot of that frame was doing quite well for itself as—

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack-a-Blam!_

A machine that had remained in hiding attacked her from behind, its anti-material rounds smashing through her float unit, damaging it irreparably, her Knightmare lurching as it lost altitude and careened into a building with a massive _CRASH, _dropping one of her VARIS rifles in the process.

'_Shit!'_

"Damn, I've been hit!" Rider swore under her breath, watching in horror as the power levels of her Knightmare dropped precipitously into the red…and her dropped VARIS rifle was annihilated by auto-cannon fire just as she managed to extricate her damaged Knightmare from the building, as enemy frames poured in from all sides, renewing their assault.

'_Too many of them…I can hold out for a while with Geass, but if I don't move I'll…screw that! Full power to combat systems!'_

_Fsh!_

Out came the Maser Vibration Swords, as Kallen's Knightmare charged into battle, determined to go out fighting, if she had to, when—

_Crunch! Clang!_

—a whirling cyclone of blades barreled into the swarm of units, drawing their attention, blocking incoming projectiles with a green hexagon shield, as it spun about, kicking, slashing, destroying one Gun-Ru after another with swords, Slash Harkens, and particle blasts, drawing the enemies' attention to the new arrival.

'_Or not so new after all…_

_Whirr! Whoosh!_

It was the second White Knightmare, having fought its way through the horde of its foes as it attacked relentlessly, ruthlessly tearing into the inferior Gun-Rus as if slicing through buttered toast.

"Lancelot, report your status," the business-live voice of Cecile Croomy called over the radio, even as the Director of Camelot to fend off what seemed an infinite stream of Knightmares, the Lancelot Club tossing them aside like used rags. "How much power do you have remaining?"

"Heh, thanks, whoever you are," Kallen replied, allowing herself to smile slightly. "A minute a most, no more."

_Crunch!_

The sound of Slash Harkens embedding themselves in a Gun-Ru and pulling it after the Lancelot Club, as the unit spun and lifted into the air, using its high speed to turn the inferior Knightmare itself into a flail that knocked back several ranks of the enemy—especially once it was followed up by a hail of VARIS projectiles.

"Then I'll cover you, until relief arrives," came Cecile's voice once again, as the Lancelot's sister unit moved to shield Rider's frame. "Standby."

"I appreciate it," Kallen said, shunting the last of her power to the factspheres, so that she could see the outside and continue to use her Geass, as—

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack-a-_

_WHOOSH!_

—twin beams of coruscating red blazed down from the sky, engulfing the whole of the Chinese Federation forces that had gathered to destroy the two White Knightmares, destroying them in a single blast.

In the utter shock and silence that followed in the wake of such unparalleled destruction, an all too familiar voice could be heard.

"Reckless and impulsive as ever, Q-1," Avenger chided, with Rider groaning as the masked man's visage appeared on Kallen's communications screen. "But good work nevertheless, and to you as well, Ms. Croomy. Your skill with a Knightmare is most commendable. My apologies for the delay—I was eliminating forces on the rest of the island."

_WHOOSH!_

And then, beams of crimson red blazed out, the sky erupting in fiery explosions as the aerial support of the Chinese Federation's invasion force was utterly demolished.

"It seems I missed a few," Avenger noted idly, eliciting a snort from the Gawain's pilot.

"You call that a few?" Milly asked, gesturing at the number of explosions.

"Certainly took you long enough, demon," Kallen added, slightly miffed at Avenger's taking so long to arrive.

"I see you managed to make the Hadron Cannon's beams converge," Cecile commented, more than a hint of interest in her eyes. "It appears that entrusting you with this unit was the right thing to do."

"Perhaps so," Avenger acknowledged, smirking behind his mirrored mask. "Perhaps so, at that."

Like a fallen angel descending from the sky, the Gawain touched down before the two units, proffering two items in its outstretched hands.

"Energy fillers?" Cecile and Kallen asked simultaneously, but took the items nonetheless, with Rider breathing a sigh of relief as her frame was once again mobile.

"Yes…now that the invasion force has been destroyed, it's time to take out the command center," Avenger said, laughing softly. "Will you join me?"

"Let's do this," Kallen agreed, smirking at the thought of finishing this battle.

"Acknowledged," spoke the crisp voice of Cecile. "Back to back, then, shall we?"

**

* * *

**

**Fukuoka Base Harbor, Kyushu**

While Rider, Avenger, and Cecile were taking care of the forces on land, the immortal who called herself Zero was cutting off the enemy's possible lines of retreat, using the Shen Hu's Baryon Cannon to wipe out the _Longdan_ and _Da Longdan_ mobile fortresses that had been so instrumental in facilitating the invasion.

_Boom! Boom! Boom!_

The massive guns of the mobile fortresses fired again and again, trying to blow the Shen Hu out of the sky, but though plumes of fire and smoke bloomed prettily in the air, the agile frame simply danced out of the way—or if unable to, blocked with its radiant wave shield, before renewing its assaults with relentless columns of red streaking down from above, vaporizing all they touched—ships, people, water, and all.

'_Strange really, how little satisfaction there is in this,'_ Zero thought to herself, as she dealt with these heavily armed ships and landcruisers. _'Vast numbers of troops sent into battle for a pointless cause…how this reminds me of the battlefields of bygone days.'_

After mere minutes, what had been a nearly unmatched armada capable of overwhelming even the Britannian Pacific Fleet was reduced to flaming wreckage, with debris strewn everywhere, the waterfront having become an unbroken sheet of flame in the glare of which a shadow floated, a demon seeking sustenance (or so it seemed to an outside observer).

It was to this scene of hell on earth that Li Xingke's elite team of Gekkas arrived, sword-wielding Knightmare Frames designed specifically to counter opponents resistant to projectile weapons—opponents like the public perception of Zero, for instance.

"What…could have done this?" one of the team members asked hesitantly, visibly trembling at the sight of such wanton devastation, and seeing nothing that could have caused it.

As if in answer, the Shen Hu emerged from the flames, floating silently over the remains of this lost battle, as if standing in judgment of the ones who had dared invade.

'_What? A single Knightmare did…all of this?'_

'_But that isn't a…'_

Interrupting their thoughts, Zero opened a communication channel with the team of Knightmare pilots sent to stop her, with the image of the masked revolutionary appearing on their viewscreens.

"Chinese Federation forces, this is Zero of the Order of Black Knights," the cold, harsh voice of the immortal C.C. rang out over the speakers. "I urge you to surrender now, or I cannot guarantee that you will live."

'_Zero? But why would she…'_

"Zero, why are you helping the Britannians?" rang the rational voice of Li Xingke, the elite warrior who fought on behalf of the Empress Tianzi. "Are they not your enemies as well as ours?"

But the immortal only laughed, a dark rolling chuckle that caused the hair of her foes to stand on end, as they gripped their weapons tighter.

"The Holy Britannian Empire is indeed my enemy," Zero acknowledged, nodding. "But would allowing this land to be taken by the Chinese Federation change anything?"

"Would it not restore your rightful government?" asked Li Xingke, while signaling for his allies to move and surround Zero's Knightmare frame. If they could manage to hit its Float Unit, then perhaps they could force it to the ground, where it could be dealt with.

"It would simply create a puppet state in thrall to the High Eunuchs," the Geass Witch replied, her tone brooking no argument. "Just as the Empress of the Chinese Federation is but a puppet in thrall to the High Eunuchs, is she not?"

As Li Xingke was, of course, fiercely loyal to the Empress, this comment riled him, all the more so because there was absolute truth in it.

"And do you believe that the Order of Black Knights can liberate Area 11 without outside assistance?" the officer asked, choosing not to reply to Zero's comments. "That they can be anything more than a resistance group, even with their recent successes?"

"A resistance group, you called us?" the immortal replied. "You amuse me, Servant Saber, with your lack of attention to detail, for any number of times have I mentioned the purpose of the Black Knights as warriors who stand for those without weapons to wield—unlike you and your forces, which invaded Kyushu without provocation and slaughtered all those in their way, even involving civilians in your battles. But then, even in the Chinese Federation, the weak are oppressed by the strong, are they not? So why would things change for an army outside its boundaries?"

"Zero, I don't know why you've intervened," Li Xingke broke in, "but I have my orders. For the glory of the Tianzi and the Chinese Federation, I will defeat you here!"

With that, his unit sprang into the air, radiant wave surger activated at full power to as to melt the masked revolutionary's frame, molten power emanating from the metallic claw of the Gekka Pre-Production Test type—

_Fsh!_

—only to be countered by the Shen Hu's radiant wave shield, based on the same technology, as the two frames clashed in mid-air.

_Whirr-Boom! Whirr-Boom!_

In response to this act of aggression, two Slash Harkens shot out from the Shen Hu's wrists, lashing out at two of the Gekkas on the ground, immobilizing them—

_BOOM! BOOM!_

—and destroying both with a pulse of electrical power that overloaded their energy fillers, before retracting. And then, as if the Gekka Pre-Production type was but a nuisance, the Shen Hu proceeded to disengage by punching the lesser Knightmare in the face before floating up into the air, out of range of its foes.

"Really? For the sake of the orders of corrupt bureaucrats, you will defeat me?" asked Zero, her tone low and dangerous as she considered the three targets before her. "Perhaps I should show you how serious I was about standing in judgment of this world…"

"Then face me on an even footing, Zero," declared Li Xingke, betting on Zero's reputation as an honorable opponent for the woman not to simply blast him where he stood. "Come down from the sky and fight as a warrior should."

A low, rumbling laugh rolled out over the waterfront, slightly louder than the crackling of flames in the distance, and the explosions rumbling near the main fortress of Fukuoka Base.

"I'm afraid that that would not quite be fair," the Witch replied, the Slash Harkens of her unit extending again and whirling out as an offensive shield, as Shen Hu swooped low and—

_Crunch!_

—ripped apart the two other production model Gekkas with ease, before drawing its sword and coming to a landing some distance from Li Xingke's Knightmare Frame.

"After all, if you wish to defeat me, should you not face me alone, Saber?" the immortal's voice asked, a sense of dark amusement in her words. "To have the courage to confront an opponent in single combat—I rather thought that was part of what the honor of a warrior included. But now…shall we dance?"

"I don't appear to have a choice in the matter, do I?" asked Li Xingke, as the Gekka surged forward, radiant wave surger activated, chainsword in hand, aiming to break through the Shen Hu's defense, with Zero leaping to counter with the maser vibration sword of her own knightmare.

_Crash! Clang! Clack!_

Metallic clangs rang out amidst the rubble and destruction as the two elite pilots faced off in a duel…whether to the death or to surrender, neither knew. Time and time again, radiant waves surged out and were blocked, as blades crashed together, scraped together, clashed, echoing with the electronic whirr of motors propelling the Knightmares forward.

Li Xingke was of course a prodigy, a master of the sword who was exceptionally skilled in close combat, capable of drawing his blade, striking, and sheathing it without his victims perceiving the blade being drawn or Li moving. His strikes were aggressive, yet precise, his chainsword encroaching upon his opponent's defenses, testing, probing, attempting to disable—yet countered time after time.

But C.C. was no slouch in combat herself, having refined her already prodigious skills on countless battlefields over near 12,000 years, wielding her blade with a cold fluidity as if guided by the chilling strength of the arctic wind, moving with perfect economy of motion as she defended, thrusting, parrying, riposting all at once.

_Clang! Clash!_

The officer of the Chinese Federation rained down heavy blows upon the unyielding Black Knight, in an attempt to break through her guard, but found all to be deflected effortlessly, not even forcing her to break the timed pattern of her movements—movements that predicted where the opponent would be with unerring accuracy and countered.

_Whoosh! Whirrrrrrr!_

A powerful slice of the chainsword, its glowing heated edge crying out shrilly for a victim, a blow aimed to cleave the Shen Hu in two and end the match, joining with the power of the radiant wave surger in an attempt to overpower the opponent's shield.

_Clack!_

But the Shen Hu leaped into the air and fliped to land behind the Gekka, blade barely touching the inferior Knightmare's cockpit block.

"It looks like I win, Saber," the Geass Witch intoned, raising her hand as the crimson sigil on C.C.'s forehead flared with light. "And if such as we are fated to conflict with one another, then concluding that fate here makes no difference."

Li Xingke could only clutch his head as his mind burned white, as images flooding into his brain of endless battlefields, of death, of innumerable fallen swords, events that had come before, his heart pounding _thud-thud-thud-thud_ in his chest, racing onwards towards oblivion as he coughed violently, retching up blood as his body collapsed under the strain of the awakening, his Knightmare going still without input.

"You…you are…" he managed to gasp out, before the man passed out.

"Heh…it appears that even the supposedly most outstanding Servant could not stand the pain of awakening as a Champion," the immortal mused, shaking her head as she lifted into the air once more, this time, using her Slash Harkens to wrap and entangle the Gekka prototype, capturing it for her own uses. "He will be useful, with his beliefs about honor and his devotion to the Empress. I do wonder what his Geass will be."

**

* * *

**

**Fukuoka Base, Kyushu**

Within the command center, the command staff of the Chinese Federation forces was, to put it simply, pretty much frozen in shock. One by one, every friendly contact on their tactical map had been systematically wiped out by an opponent without mercy or remorse, as if Death herself opposed them. One moment, the White Knightmares had been cornered by an overwhelming number of Gun-Ru—and then the next, a new contact had appeared on the radar, a Knightmare of shadow and flame—a demon machine that had eliminated what Gun-Rus remained in one fell swoop.

'_Our paths of retreat have been cut off,' _thought General Zhao, noting how quickly the situation had changed. _'And Li Xingke's elite team has disappeared as well, meaning that whatever weapon the Britannians employed, it has wiped out our most powerful detachment…'_

"All remaining forces resume attack!" ordered Sawasaki, desperate for some move to counter the unexpected intervention. "Stop those Knightmares!"

Tanks, turrets, missiles were launched in a flurry of destructive force, streaming out for the three Knightmares which moved rapidly towards the fortress—only for the _Gawain_ to sweep the missiles and turrets from existence, while the Lancelot and the Lancelot Club made short work of the tanks.

_WHOOOSH—BOOOM!_

And then a hole was blown in the wall of the fortress, with the Gawain coming in point, and the two White Knightmares sweeping the building of any others, meaning that there was no further any of them could go, no place to run, no where left to hide.

"This is the end for you, and your fallen vision of Japan, Sawasaki," the harsh baritone of Avenger spoke, as the cockpit of the Gawain opened to reveal the notorious man swathed in blood and shadow. "The new Japan that shall be built in its place shall be one proud enough to accept all peoples, histories and ideologies, with the strong shall not weigh over the weak."

"Avenger…should the Black Knights not be fighting alongside us as comrades?" Sawasaki asked, with the Chief Cabinet Minister trying not to tremble as a glowing red eye was fixed upon him. "After all, we share a common goal, the liberation of Japan."

"And to liberate its people, you condoned a slaughter?" Avenger asked, his voice a sibilant hiss. "To liberate its people, you killed them, one and all?"

"You naïve child, you—" the man sneered, but was cut off as the subcommander of the Black Knights glared at him.

"I stand in judgment of this world," Avenger intoned, his face stern as he lifted his hands. "Pitiful shadow lost to darkness, your hurtful actions towards mankind have tainted your existence beyond all hope of salvation. Your hollow heart and soul drowns in your lust for power at all cost, your utter disregard for human life. Now...would you like to see what death is like?"

Zhao and Sawasaki stepped back, whimpering, shaking, mouthing "no, no, no" as all that they had done towards others rebounded upon him at last, terror and pain, daily sufferings, illness, fear, horror, revulsion coursing through their minds, as every indignity they had ever dealt came back shrieking upon them, their bodies twisting as bones broke _crack-crack-crack! _and muscles tore themselves to pieces, the men's lifeless bodies toppling to the floor with a ghastly scream.

"The tasks at hand have been completed…" Avenger intoned at last, as his helmet's retractable panel slid shut once more. "And with this threat taken care of, we are almost ready to declare independence from Britannia!"

* * *

A/N: Battle of Fukuoka Base complete. Li Xingke has been captured, and the rest of the invasion force eliminated from the board. Up next, governmental instability in several nations, an arranged marriage is planned, and open rebellion begins. Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated!


	27. Noble Treachery

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Isolation Chamber, Black Knights Submarine**

As Li Xingke's state of dormancy came to an end with the same bloody coughing and hacking that had sent him into it in the first place, the first thing he registered was that he was apparently strapped down, his body bound up in a military prisoner issue straitjacket. His mind was still reeling from the deluge of images and sensations that had bombarded it following his duel with Zero, and opening his eyes did not make things any better, as he was met with a wall of too-bright light.

'_The last thing I remember was that I lost a duel with Zero…and now, I am a prisoner of some sort,'_ the man surmised, wondering why he had not simply been killed. _'Somehow, I was knocked out and captured…'_

Gritting his teeth, the man squinted as his vision adjusted itself to the initially overwhelming brilliance of his surroundings, and, painfully the officer managed a look at his surroundings, his head shifting about to and fro to see if there was anything that stood out in the room, anything that he could be exploited for an escape, but found none.

'_White…everything is white…'_ was his observation, as he noted that the straitjacket he wore, the table he was strapped to, even the walls and floor of the room itself were stark featureless white, with the barrenness of the chamber interfering with all perception of distance. No apparent doors, no windows, nothing at all. And worse, aside from the sound of his breathing and the eerie high-pitched whine of his nerves fraying, there was absolute and utter silence. _'I had never thought that silence itself could be so deafening…could this be an anechoic chamber?'_

Twas a rather disconcerting experience for the man, as it would be for almost any human being, and Xingke's eyes darted hither and fro almost frantically as if to find something to latch onto, something to make him feel as if he were not drowning in an endless void.

But the one thing he saw did not help matters at all, his head throbbing in pain as his eyes lit upon black hairline cracks running through his body, thin lines that snaked through his form almost…

'_What…why are there scribbles all over my body?'_ he wondered, glancing away to see if it was merely an effect of eye damage. Unfortunately, the scribbles remained even when only glancing from the side, seeming to branch from… _'The qi meridians which carry life force, perhaps?'_

Li Xingke was familiar with the concept of life energy, as that had been a teaching of eastern medicine for many years, but these scribbles did not quite correspond to the traditional meridian maps.

'_They're twisted somehow…corrupted, and to look at them evokes a sense of wrongness, as if—Aghh'_

His head throbbed violently once again, as if his brain was protesting against this unnatural vision, a sudden chill freezing him in place as horrible knowledge poured into his mind, knowledge of what these lines were…

'_Death. Or rather the seams found in all living beings, like stitches that hold an open wound together after surgery,'_ the man realized, closing his eyes so he would not have to look upon this madness. _'The points and lines at which all things will one day break, one day fail…_'

Certainly, knowing these weak points would be very useful for a warrior, but Li Xingke knew instinctively that this was something that humans were not meant to perceive—at least not in this manner.

"Zero, what did you do to me?" the man muttered under his breath. "Why do I see these lines? Why do I see—?"

"Death?" came the response, as the masked leader of the Black Knights stepped into view, her dark cloaked form silhouetted against the walls of the room. "So that is your Geass… the Perception of Absolute Life, rather fitting for a warrior whose main attack is cutting, isn't it?"

_Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!_

Then his eyes caught sight of a second figure standing in the room, a masked man cloaked in the colors of shadow and blood, and his body tensed, as if detecting an instinctive enemy, attempting to break his restraints even though it was futile. Intellectually, Xingke knew this man to be Avenger, the subcommander of the Black Knights, and yet…

'_It is as if he is not a man at all, but a wraith wearing a human form, a harbinger of destruction…'_

Indeed, to Li Xingke's recently enhanced vision, there was an intense aura of despair and corruption that rolled off Avenger like fog, as tendrils of miasma slithered from that aura towards Saber, spreading its foul poison through one's qi channels as it battered on subconscious defenses older than human memory, urging Saber towards—

'_No…this is some kind of black sorcery…'_ Saber thought in horror, marshalling every bit of mental defense he could manage to oppose the intrusion, even as the unconscious screamed that resistance was futile against—

"For the sake of your sanity, I would suggest you turn off your Geass, as your ability to perceive what should not be seen only weakens your mental defenses, enhancing the effect of the Shadow," Zero broke in, seeing the bound Servant's state of…discomfort. "Picture a switch for your ability to see death, and toggle it before it is too late."

Wordlessly, Li Xingke did as he was told, and c_lick!_ as if a circuit was switched off, the crimson sigil in his eye ceased to glow, with the superimposed lines of death fading from his sight, as the man sagged with relief, feeling the assault on his mind stop.

"That's better isn't it?" the immortal asked, apparently somewhat amused.

"You…I cannot see your lines," the captured officer muttered, curious as to what exactly Zero was. "It is—"

"—as if death does not exist for me," Zero finished, smirking under her mask. "For I am a Counter Guardian, an existence other than entirely human…"

"As for you, Li Xingke of the Chinese Federation," the demon spoke, his voice smooth and businesslike, rather fitting of his dark visage. "What to do with you is rather a puzzle, as the High Eunuchs have claimed that the presence of Chinese Federation forces in Kyushu was an unauthorized act, as well as disavowing all knowledge of you. Had the invasion succeeded, I imagine they would have accepted it as a fait accompli, but as it failed…they wish to dispose of those that might embarrass them."

The captured military officer took in those words, stifling his reactions as best he could. The last thing he wanted was for his captors to be able to trick him with lies, so…

"Do you have any proof of this?" he asked quietly, his anti-interrogation training kicking in as he willed his mind to serenity. While neither Zero or Avenger seemed to fit the standard physical profile of an interrogator, but Xingke knew that where these two were concerned, physical skills likely meant nothing, considering the…strange…reports of their abilities.

Avenger merely walked to the wall and removed a heretofore unseen panel, revealing a viewscreen that the man thumbed on.

The sound from it was distorted, thanks to the strange acoustics in this chamber, but what was displayed on that screen was quite clear enough.

'_Governor General Asplund repels intruders with timely counterattack! Invasion forces suffer 100% casualties. Chinese Federation repudiates actions of rogue General Zhao. Denies any official involvement for the attack on Area 11.'_

That much was only to be expected in the wake of failure, as the Chinese Federation did not have an interest in all out war with Britannia, and—

"Interesting isn't it?" Zero asked, her tone seeming somewhat sympathetic, as if she, too, could relate. "As typical of Sabers, your country threw you away because of your inner nobility…sending you and your troops to die in a foreign land. Still, what to—"

"Lady Zero, Lady Zero—" came a frantic announcement over the built-in communicator in Zero's helmet, apparently from the young and energetic voice of Kaguya Sumeragi.

"I assume this is an emergency?" the immortal replied, somewhat displeased at the interruption.

"Yes, please come to the bridge at once!" Kaguya called, bringing a frown to the masked revolutionary's face.

The immortal sighed, shaking her head as she stepped out of sight of her captive.

"Avenger, remain here with our…guest," the silky voice of Zero ordered her Servant. "V.V.'s regeneration cycle should be almost complete, and it would not do for him to pick up on Saber's location. It appears something urgent has come up that I will need to attend to."

"Very well, witch, I hear and obey," answered the Wraith of Vengeance, giving a slight bow to his master.

"I see that there's a first for everything," were Zero's parting words as she left through an unseen door, leaving the figure of blood and shadow to watch over the bound Servant.

* * *

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

The day after the attack had been repulsed, the Governor General, the Director of Camelot, and the press secretary of the Black Knights were all sitting in Governor General's office, ostensibly for a simple luncheon, though their topics of conversation didn't involve weather, politics as usual, or culture. Indeed, considering the composition of the group, those topics would have been somewhat unusual, as opposed to Knightmares, tacit agreements, and plans for subversion.

"So…what did you think?" the Governor General genially asked the Ashford heir, rather curious as to what she thought of his brainchild. "Is the Gawain not an exceptional machine?"

"Definitely beats piloting the Ganymede," Milly allowed, which was not quite the voluminous praise that Lloyd was expecting. "But I really haven't piloted many modern Knightmares—you really should ask Avenger, who has…err…gotten his hands on several."

"The man who damaged my Lancelot?ǃ" Lloyd exclaimed, disbelief in his eyes. "Why would I—oof!"

Fortunately for everyone present, Cecile was very good at acting as Lloyd's conscience—or minder, in this case, as she grabbed the Governor General by the collar and shook him.

"Lloyd…" the Director of Camelot whispered warningly. "Do I really have to get the chefs to remove pudding from your menu?"

The Earl of Pudding nearly fell out of his chair, stricken at the mere suggestion.

"Cecile! You wouldn't…" he began, though one look at the blunette's face was enough to make him swallow and change his mind. "You would, I see. My apologies—I suppose Avenger would be the one to ask."

"However, he did mention that he preferred the Guren to the Lancelot," Milly replied, a teasing smirk on her lips. "The red Knightmare from Narita, if you remember."

"W-w-what?ǃ" sputtered the Earl of Pudding, unable to believe that someone might actually dislike one of his machines. "Even after Zero had the audacity to take the Lancelot from us? Is it the performance? The design? The—"

"The color," came the succinct and unexpected reply, as the Ashford heir mercilessly teased the Governor General, who was prepared to go off on one of his long tirades when—

Cecile chuckled.

"Lloyd, she's joking," the blunette chided, causing the Earl to stop and scratch his head.

A long, awkward moment of silence followed.

"So when is the long awaited declaration of independence going to be?" asked Governor General Asplund, peering curiously at the blonde. "I'm quite eager to obtain more data on the Sutherland Airs, which are just about finished."

"Knowing Zero's flair for the dramatic, she'll wait until after an appropriate moment," Milly said, looking at both the Earl and the Director of Camelot. "She believes the moment will be soon, as she has no doubt made enough of a nuisance of herself to the homeland—"

"—for an army to be dispatched to crush her and any other resistance," Cecile grimly concluded. "I take it that she has an inkling of who these foes might be?"

"The Knights of the Round."

A chilling answer, as those elite soldiers of the Holy Empire of Britannia were well known for their prowess in battle and their utter ruthlessness, and as such were not the foes one would want to see on the field of battle. However, at least the forces in Area 11 would hold the…

At the sight of Lloyd shaking his head, Milly looked over at the man in concern, only for Cecile to explain.

"Once the Lancelot was completed, Lloyd had already sent the Vincent's specifications off for mass-production at the main Camelot Research facility in the homeland," the blunette said with more calm than she felt. "This means that the Knights of Round and their attendant forces will most likely have seventh generation frames."

"And given that _someone_ designed that Knight Giga Fortress with all the technologies therein, they may have yet more secrets to be unveiled," Lloyd added, lips twisting in distaste. "In other words, we will no longer have the absolute technical edge—though at least we'll be able to gather data on how our upgrades do against the mass production models, won't we?"

"I take it that the Sutherland Sieg is nowhere near finished?" Milly asked, watching as the two scientists glanced at one another, before shaking their heads.

"It won't be…not soon enough, at least," Cecile replied softly. The basic Sutherland unit had been modified to accept the salvaged parts, but the neural control system was more problematic, as it only allowed for those with already superhuman abilities to use it (read: Code-bearers). Hence, there were some issues in scaling down the system for general use, unless of course, one wanted to go the cyborg augmentation route, which no one was particularly wanted to do at this point.

Not that Lloyd would have much minded, of course, since he saw his fellow human beings as tools to be used, parts to be put into play, but Cecile didn't quite approve. And even if she had, there wasn't time.

"In that case, let's hope that we don't have to split our forces," Milly noted, hoping for the best, but knowing that Murphy's law all too well. "Because if we do, then…"

She broke off, casting a brief glance at the Governor General.

"Then we'll just have to find out how effective your Knightmares really are, won't we?"

"Indeed," the Earl of Pudding acknowledged. "I assume you still require the _Avalon_ for an upcoming mission, or failing that, a _Caerleon_-class ship?"

"Yes…we may soon have a matter to resolve in the Chinese Federation."

* * *

**Bridge, Black Knights Submarine**

Upon reporting to the bridge and hearing the news that Kaguya Sumeragi had to report, the immortal witch who went by Zero had been…most displeased, to put it lightly. Dealing with the Britannian forces in Area 11 had not been too difficult up until now, and the Chinese Federation's forces had soundly been defeated at Kyushu, but those were merely tactical victories. Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia's move, on the other hand…

'_I admit that it is what I would have done in the same situation, if I was a ruthless Britannian princeling,' _C.C. conceded, though that that was true made the situation irk her no less. _'Still, the fact of the matter remains that this is rather…inconvenient at this time.'_

Apparently, the Britannian Prime Minister had proposed a marriage of state between Crown Prince Odysseus eu Britannia of the Holy Britannian Empire and the symbol of the Chinese Federation, the Empress Tianzi—news that the Knights had only discovered due to an invitation to the ceremony being sent to the Sumeragi Conglomerate.

'_Even with the power of two Servants, I have no desire to fight two-thirds of the world…'_ the immortal groused mentally. _'Especially as Rider's Geass is not one that can be used without consequence – even now, she lies unconscious once again, and I don't expect her to wake up for a few days. Its only to be expected, with the overwhelming numbers encountered at Kyushu, since Geasses that affect the physical world, rather than simply the mental, are more of an aberration to the natural order and so impose a greater strain on the mind.'_

"Thank you for the information, Lady Kaguya," Zero took the time to respond graciously, while mulling over what to do next.

"So what's the plan, Zero?" chirped a bubbly head of the Six Houses of Kyoto. "Are we going to crash the wedding?"

"Well, we can't let the Tianzi be married off for a reason other than love now, can we?" Zero quipped, smirking behind her mask at the thought of what punishment she would lay out for the Britannians because of this. "We will simply have to put our plans into motion a little more quickly than expected."

Tamaki, as always, could be counted on to throw in his own opinion.

"Wait wait just a moment, Zero," the hothead objected. "You're telling me that we're going to invade the Chinese Federation? Isn't one world spanning empire enough of an enemy for you?"

Various sentiments agreed, but the immortal cut off all opposition with a raised hand.

"Tamaki, if we don't intervene, then the Chinese Federation joins Britannia," the Geass Witch pointed out quietly, letting those sobering words sink in. "And if that happens…"

She paused, as the Black Knights looked thoughtfully at one another, not even wanting to think about the consequences that would result from that unholy union.

"So what are our orders, Zero?" asked Kyoshiro Tohdoh, the leader of the Four Holy Swords acknowledging that their masked leader had a point. "What is to be our role in this operation?"

"For the most part, Tohdoh, I will need you and most of the Black Knights to remain in Area 11 and prepare our defenses, particularly around the Tokyo Settlement," the immortal ordered, as she stood before a map of the region. "Our successes against the Britannian army have no doubt attracted attention from the Britannian homeland, and I suspect that their troops will soon move to stop us—and perhaps to replace the Governor General with someone…less tolerant."

"And who will be going to the Chinese Federation then?" the leader of the Four Holy Swords questioned.

"Lady Kaguya will accompany me, as she is the one who the invitation has named, with Avenger as her escort," Zero stated, knowing that she could not afford to send many of the troops there in case Area 11 was hit in their absence (and Avenger's Geass was the best at eliminating unguarded enemies on foot). _'I cannot dispatch Rider, as she will not wake up for at least a few days, so…I am also necessary, in case there are Knights of Round protecting Schneizel and Odysseus…'_

"And your means of transport?"

"…I'm sure that our ally in power can grant us the use of an airship," the immortal replied after a moment, looking over at Rakshata. "Can you work with the Earl to get your Gefjun Disturber technology integrated into the _Avalon_?"

"…another distasteful collaboration?" the Indian scientist asked, none-too-pleased by this, but relented. "I suppose there won't be a better chance to examine the float system."

**

* * *

**

**Isolation Chamber, Black Knights Submarine**

Within the anechoic chamber in which Li Xingke was being held, Servant Avenger studied the man who he knew to be Saber, a small frown upon his lips at the knowledge that a non-allied champion was so near. On one hand, he did wonder why C.C. had not simply eliminated him when she had the chance, but on the other—

'_Zero does as she pleases, and it usually turns out for the best,' _Lelouch acknowledged, shaking his head. _'I wouldn't be surprised if she had a plan to use this Servant to sow chaos in the ranks of the enemy, as she is wont to do…'_

"This room was not actually built for interrogation, Saber," Avenger said abruptly, wishing to fill the oppressive silence with some sound.

"Oh?" inquired Xingke, curious as to why else such a chamber would be present on…whatever vessel or building this was. "Then why does this disconcerting place exist in this facility, if not for interrogation?"

"Zero uses it as a meditation room, as she finds the sensation of drifting…relaxing," Avenger related, wondering just what the emergency had been that had summoned his master away. "In any case, your country has disavowed all knowledge of you, almost as if they wish to be rid of you. So what will you do, Li Xingke?"

"My loyalty is to the Empress Tianzi alone," the Chinese Federation officer replied, causing Lelouch to raise an eyebrow. "Even if the High Eunuchs abandon me, I remain loyal to my Empress."

It was then that Zero chose to enter the chamber quietly, footsteps moving rapidly across the blank white surface of the place.

"So I see…you have something that binds you, don't you?" the immortal noted, turning her mirrored gaze upon the officer. "Then you will be pleased to know that we are returning you to the Chinese Federation."

"You will not attempt to convince me to join you?" the man asked, rather incredulous that Zero would simply let him off so easily.

"There is no need," C.C. answered, a hint of amusement in her voice. "After all, if your loyalty is truly to the Empress Tianzi and not to the High Eunuchs, then I will leave you to do as you must, especially as the High Eunuchs have decided to marry her off to the Crown Prince of Britannia."

At those words, Li Xingke froze, unable to believe what he heard.

"Zero, could you repeat what you said?" Saber requested.

"The Empress has been engaged to the Crown Prince of Britannia," Avenger's harsh baritone intoned. "In other words, the High Eunuchs have sold out the Chinese Federation to the Holy Britannian Empire…"

"And do you have proof of this?" the officer demanded. Simply making these claims was one thing, but—

Zero simply laughed, a dissonant sound that proved somewhat…disturbing, pointing at the viewscreen and pressing a few buttons, where a newscaster reported on the upcoming marriage of the two heads of state.

"And even if you do not believe this, you will have the chance to see the truth for yourself once we return you to the Chinese Federation, as several of our number are headed there to—deal with a wedding," the Geass Witch continued. "So, if you will not join us, will you at least swear upon your honor that you will not harm any of those under my command?"

"Yes, Zero, that much I can swear."

**

* * *

**

**Sword of Akasha**

Within the World of C, the eternally young body of the immortal V.V. had mostly pieced itself back together, reforming little by little from the vaporized mess that C.C. had reduced it into. Had the damage been less severe, he would not have had to resort to recreating himself from a conceptual template—and indeed, he was used to such minor injuries as decapitation, stab wounds, bleeding out, ruptured organs, broken bones, or other such things that were easy to fix.

Having the body completely destroyed, however, was a different matter entirely, as it meant that his anchor in the physical world was lost, that he had to be painstakingly reformed, atom by atom, molecule by molecule within the collective unconscious.

'_Immortality protects one from death, it does not protect one from pain…' _the boyish immortal thought to himself, lips twisting into a grimace. _'And C.C. dared to raise a hand against me, against a fellow immortal…'_

This, of course, disregarded the fact that V.V. would have been all too willing to eliminate C.C. from the great game if it came down to it, save that C.C. had not yet allowed him to catch her within the World of C, the true and final battleground of the Eden Vital War.

With a faint hiss of static, and what sounded like the interlocking of engaging gears, the regeneration was at last complete, leaving an annoyed V.V. standing within the floating Grecian temple complex that had been designed as a weapon to use against the "Gods," with a double helix of a sort emerging from the middle and growing towards the great eye up above.

'_This is the Sword of Akasha, the Key that will open the Twilight Door…but the door cannot be opened unless only one of the Seven remains…'_ he thought, annoyed at the safeguard built into the World of C by those who had come before. _'Damn that Atlantean witch for always getting in my way…for preventing me from destroying the current order and creating a world free of lies! It is not I who am wrong…it is the world that is wrong!'_

Behind him, heavy footsteps echoed, and V.V. turned to see his brother Charles zi Britannia, an impatient expression on his face.

"So, you have returned at last, my brother," the voice of the Emperor boomed into the void.

"Yes, and I have located the treacherous C.C.," V.V. replied, glancing at the great double-helix. "It appears I was mistaken as to the identity of Zero, that that thorn in our side has been the Grey Witch all this time, allied with Rider and playing us for fools."

"And did you at least manage to eliminate the Servants gathered in Area 11?" the Emperor questioned.

"No, thanks to C.C.'s interference," V.V. answered, nearly spitting at the mention of the Witch. "It has become necessary to take drastic measures to purge Area 11 of rebellion—and particularly to destroy the body of C.C."

"You plan to return her to the World of C, where you can seal her while she is devoting her energies to regenerating?" Charles asked, a touch of approval in his voice.

"Yes, I recommend that the Knights of Round not accompanying Schneizel and the entire Pacific Fleet be dispatched for Area 11, so that we may crush the Order of Black Knights once and for all," V.V. growled venomously. "For it is only we who stand in judgment of the world, not the Reaper in White, she who is the Fleur of Chaos, the Shadow to this world's light."

"So it will be done, my brother."

* * *

**A/N**: With only four Servants total remaining in the War, V.V. grows serious about crushing the threat of C.C. once and for all. (Funny how being killed and being forced to painfully rebuild your body will do that). Meanwhile, the Black Knights make plans to fortify Area 11 against a Britannian Invasion, and a small party will soon head out to the Chinese Federation. Thanks for reading, and reviews are very much appreciated!


	28. Oneiroi Discordia

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Airship Construction Hangar, Shikinejima**

Compared to the bustling Tokyo Settlement, the center of government and influence in Area 11, Shikinejima was an isolated place, the fourth and smallest of a chain of eight islands stretching south of Tokyo, about 2.5 hours away from the settlement by boat, or an hour by plane. It was for precisely that reason that the island had been chosen as the site of a Britannian military facility, in particular the one dedicated to construction and maintenance of the local detachment of the Britannian Aerial Armada, which in Area 11 currently consisted of the _Avalon_ and several _Caerleon-_class light cruisers.

The Governor-General did wish he had access to a few _Logres-_class aerial battleships, but those were very limited in number, with the only two currently in operation being the _Great Britannia_ and the _Corbenik, _the personal flagships of Charles zi Britannia and the Knight of One, respectively. As it was, Lloyd Asplund resigned himself to having to make do with his current fleet, with as many modifications could be made by his team of—

"Faster, we don't have much time!" admonished a labcoated dark-skinned blonde, who even now took a puff from a long pipe in her hands as she berated her assistants. "The Gefjun Disturbers and the Gefjun Net missiles have to be installed quickly, before the Pacific Fleet arrives, since these designs of the Earl of Pudding had in mind are not quite up to par for the battle to come. I would still prefer to use radiant wave technology instead of this Blaze Luminous as well, but I suppose this will have to do."

At the sound of this voice, Governor General Lloyd Asplund took a deep breath and tried to force himself not to snipe back, since his archrival _was_ helping them to prepare for the confrontation that would take place in…just under 72 hours. Still, in the end, he was…somewhat unsuccessful.

"Just like the world's second best scientist, to complain about a revolutionary new system," the Earl of Pudding shot back, his lips twisted in a crooked grin. "Why you wouldn't be able to claim half your achievements without building off of my work…"

"What was that, you twisted little sociopath?" Rakshata asked sharply, turning her attention on the technical master of Area 11. "And almost none of your glorious inventions would be complete without my contributions…"

"You mean, without your unwelcome modifica—"

"Lloyd, Rakshata, can't we accept that the results are usually better when we collaborate?" Cecile broke in, attempting to play peacemaker to prevent the disruption of work.

"How quaint," Rakshata scoffed. "You expect me to trust this…this…poseur of a scientist to tinker with my children! You may as well say the ends justify the means!"

"Well…yes," answered the Director of Camelot, "since you two _are _sociopaths who care only for data…and your food or drug of choice."

"At least I don't have a pudding fetish!"

"At least I'm not addicted to opium!"

Those were the simultaneous (and rather indignant) responses of the two mad scientists, who took one look at each other and then looked away as their eyes met, almost as if stung, huffing at even having to deal with one another on such a basis.

'_What's the Japanese word for this phenomenon?'_ Cecile wondered idly, as she regarded the two which so well suited one another, at least in their temperaments and fanatical devotion to science. _'Tsun...tsun…Tsundara? No... Tsunjire? No. Tsungire? Ah…Tsundere!'_

Fortunately, before the atmosphere could spontaneously combust from the sheer amount of tension in the air, a sharp rustling of crisp fabric (so very different than the scraping of metal and the footsteps of the workers) alerted the trio to a new presence—their putative 'boss', as it were, who was surveying the progress being made on the fleetwide refit.

"Rakshata, have the modifications to the _Avalon_ been completed yet?" the immortal Zero asked, her tone entirely business-like at the moment. There was no danger of her being discovered or harmed, since the island's garrison had been stripped bare for the Kyushu operation, and the only ones currently occupying the base were Black Knights and Lloyd's technicians.

"Yes, the Gefjun Disturbers have been integrated into the Earl of Pudding's flagship, giving it stealth capabilities and a more efficient Hadron Cannon," the Indian scientist replied, turning her attention to the masked leader of the Black Knights. "Not that it will help, since I doubt he'll ever take it out to the front lines. That's what politicians do, order other people to die for them."

"I don't seem to recall you going to the front lines much yourself, Rakshata," Lloyd replied, looking pointedly at a couch that had somehow found its way into the hanger, one of those padded affairs of velvet and pillows on which his Indian colleague had a habit of reclining.

"As much as I'm sure you two enjoy listening to the sound of your own voices, I think Zero still has some more questions," Cecile admonished, not wishing to give Zero an excessively bad impression of the two…admittedly eccentric individuals she knew, not knowing that C.C. had seen _much_ worse in her very long lifetime. One did not live for 12,000 years without encountering some rather…strange individuals.

"As do I," Avenger broke in, with the exiled prince suddenly striding into view, having just completed a circuit of the hangar to inspect the ongoing work with his own two eyes. "What is the status of the modified _Caerleon_-class cruisers?"

"Proceeding," Lloyd replied, the light of the bright workspace glinting from his glasses. Rakshata looked at him strangely, but the Earl just shrugged it off. Like it or not, the organization _was_ Camelot, and there were certain conventions to be maintained, even in rebellion. "The basics are done but…hohoho, I think you'll enjoy what we're doing to the _Skeith_ _…_your flagship, and the first of what we are dubbing the _Camlann_-class stealth battlecruisers._"_

The Governor General gestured at the (nominally) _Camlann-class _airship that was currently trapped in rigging, with throngs of workers swarming over it, frantically swapping out components, testing weapons packs and…

"Are those components from the Siegfried?" Zero asked, her interest piqued as she saw what seemed to be the rather large Slash Harkens that had been mounted on the orange Giga Fortress she'd fought before.

"Yes, Slash Harkens enhanced with harken boosters," Lloyd said with obvious pleasure, "as well as the overall Blaze Luminous technology, electrifiable hull sections, a hypervelocity cannon—

"Stealth systems, and a Baryon cannon, similar to the one on the Shen Hu," Rakshata finished, not about to let the Earl of Pudding take all the credit. The man might be a brilliant scientist, as even his archrival would concede (grudgingly, if threatened by a blast from a radiant wave surger), but he could also certainly be less-than-considerate of others' contributions, to put it mildly.

"Very impressive," Zero acknowledged with a nod of her head, noting that even Avenger seemed to be pleased with the hardware. "I assume that this has also been loaded with Gefjun Net missiles, among other things?"

"That's correct," confirmed the Director of Camelot, with Cecile being the only practical details oriented person among the trio. "With these modifications, the _Skeith_ should be significantly more powerful than the escort vessel it began life as."

"As it should be, should it have to face the _Great Britannia_ or the _Corbenik_ in battle," Avenger returned, lips pressed together in a line as he considered the new vessel, which had once been called a "Light Avalon", but now made for an impressive ship of its own. Given the need for an unobtrusive deployment to the Chinese Federation, this would serve rather well. "Well done, I'm impressed. And have you managed the same with the repairs to the Guren?"

Rakshata chuckled lightly at this question, a lazy smile spreading across her face.

"Well, I was wondering when you would finally ask," replied the dark-skinned blonde, walking towards a corner of the hanger where her personal research team was finishing up some enhancements.

There stood the familiar red-painted Knightmare called the Guren Mk-II, although there were some key differences from the last time Zero and Avenger had seen it. Perhaps the most obvious change was the Air Glide Wing system added to its back, allowing it to fly, though the new radiant wave surger was evident as well, as this time, it matched the Knightmare's overall color scheme (save for the claws, which were still silver).

"So you managed to replace the arm," the immortal C.C. noted, evidently pleased. "I take it that the differences from the original are not just cosmetic?"

"Oh, not at all," Rakshata answered with a rather languid glee. "This is a special armor-piercing bombardment type to deal with those pesky Knights of Round, able to fire radiation blasts at long ranges or over wide areas while retaining the power of its close-range surge."

"Don't forget about the Blaze Luminous shield mounted to its left arm," Lloyd Asplund added smugly, which almost set the other scientist off on a rant about how the Earl of Pudding had molested her child without her consent, though they silenced themselves as Avenger raised a hand.

"Most excellent," Avenger rumbled, just barely managing to resist breaking out into an evil laugh on the spot. "The three of you have outdone yourselves in producing such a fine Knightmare. I trust the Sutherland Airs are being distributed as we speak?"

'_So Servant Rider will have a chance to pilot the Guren once again, which should be a nasty little surprise for the Britannian Army. But who will pilot the Lancelot then…I only recall one person more skilled in combat than Suzaku, but…would Sayoko do it?'_

"That's correct," replied Cecile, nodding once. "The modified Knightmares are being shipped to the arranged transshipment points."

"Good, then we are on schedule for Operation Morrigan," Zero rumbled, though under the helmet, her brows knit together in puzzlement as C.C. looked at Rakshata. "One question though: if this is the Guren Mk-II, what happened to the Guren Mk-I?"

To the immortal's surprise, the Indian scientist actually stopped puffing on her pipe for a moment, her lips curling into a rather sour expression.

"There were…feedback errors with the radiant wave surger," Rakshata admitted after a few unpleasant moments of silence. "The Mk-I didn't survive the little accident."

'_In other words…her machine cooked itself…but this one won't do so, right?' _ Avenger thought to himself, taking a deep breath and exhaling as he shook his head.

"But that problem has been fixed in the Mk-II?" he questioned more sharply.

"Of course," Rakshata answered, taking a puff to calm her from the unpleasant memory of melted metal and other burning smells. "I could hardly call myself the best designer if I couldn't make a working machine that outperforms any of the Earl of Pudding's works."

"In any case," Zero cut in, before the squabbling could begin anew. "It seems that we are on track. You have the ocean floor map data loaded into the Portmans?"

"Of course."

* * *

**California Base, Holy Britannian Empire**

In accordance to the Emperor of Britannia's orders, all of the Knights of Round had gathered at the Pacific Fleet's main port, accompanied by the Royal Guard and their acolytes. The most feared soldiers in all of the Holy Britannian Empire, answering to the Emperor alone, the seven of them were warriors known for being ruthless in battle, matchless from within a Knightmare Frame.

Still, outside of a Knightmare, some of them were known for being decidedly eccentric at best, with the man dubbed the "Vampire of Britannia" being the worst of them. He was Luciano Bradley, the Knight of Ten, a violent and confrontational man who called himself a "homicide genius", a man whose sole motive for fighting was to cause destruction, to be able to freely kill without restraint. Many times, he had sacrificed allies for his own gain—acts for which he had not been punished, due to Britannia's policy that those who died were not to be mourned, since they had been weak enough to perish—something that segued nicely with Bradley's penchant for mass murder.

Gino Weinberg was little better, an arrogant young noble who in a Knightmare Frame lived for the sheer exultation of battle, focused only on victory and the thrill of the fight—while outside of the fight, he was rather more known for violating the personal space of those he came across, and acting like a clown. True, he was a noble who had no idea of what appropriate was in the real world, but he was also a young man trying to heal old wounds and resentments by drowning himself in war, as so many other addicts did. Once, he had been a child in love with an Eleven maid, but his first love had been beaten by his family and left for dead—leading him to run away from home, abandoning name, station, and true attachments to others, except for the relationships at the point of the sword, where there was a certainty of kill or be killed, without ambiguity.

Then, there was Anya Alstreim, the youngest member of the Rounds, who could usually be found updating her blog with pictures from her camera phone. Not much was known about her past, as she was a quiet and introverted person who didn't speak to many, declaring the world to be dull, at best. In battle, she was overwhelming, swatting aside her opponents without emotion, as if simply eliminating minor nuisances. Not once had anyone seen her actually become angry, which was…odd enough that even the Vampire of Britannia stayed away from her, thinking that she might one day decide to squash him with her Knightmare when he was out of one.

The others (Dorothea Ernst – Knight of Four, Nonette Enneagram—Knight of Nine, Monica Kruszewski—Knight of Twelve, and Bismarck Waldstein—Knight of One) were rather more what one expected of elite soldiers, as they were noble, competent individuals fiercely loyal to their country.

Any one of them alone would have been a dire threat for a foe to face—which was part of the reason why there was some slight confusion as to why they had _all_ been ordered to move out to Area 11 in order to eliminate Zero (though the three odd ones were tasked with heading to the Chinese Federation first to protect Prime Minister Schneizel and Crown Prince Odysseus during the wedding with the Tianzi).

Surely, whoever the masked woman was, she could not be that great of a threat to the empire, could she?

'_War should only be used as a last resort,' _thought Bismarck, the leader of the Rounds, _'as strength without restraint is merely needless violence._'

The Vampire of Britannia was somewhat more sanguine about the situation, as this would no doubt give him license to kill without restraint yet again, and the psychotic murderer had wondered whether or not Zero valued her life…

Still, no matter their qualms, they who were known and feared through the entire world would follow orders, leading the Pacific Fleet to Area 11, where the Knight of One would assume governance of the territory and organize the Knights in crushing Zero once and for all.

**

* * *

**

**Transshipment Warehouse, Order of Black Knights **

Upon reporting to the location where they had first received their Burais, the gathered members of the Black Knights were frozen in shock at the sight of their latest "present." When Zero had mentioned that the Governor General would be rendering the Knights some assistance, they had been slightly skeptical of this, thinking that any assistance would be minor at best.

They certainly had not expected…_this._

"I've never seen anything like these. Are these…Sutherlands?" Ohgi asked, as he and the rest of the Knights looked out at the rows of Knightmares lined up shoulder to shoulder, filling the available space, hundreds in this warehouse alone. Most of them seemed to be Sutherlands with a strange backpack system, but painted black and silver, instead of the traditional purple, though there were some units modeled after the Guren, and one that looked rather like a black and silver version of the once-hated White Knightmare.

"Sutherland Airs, to be specific, courtesy of our Governor General," boomed the voice of Avenger, as the _Gawain_ touched down outside the facility, and the man of shadow and flame exited the double cockpit, walking into the warehouse, where the throngs parted for his passing. "Sutherlands modified for higher performance and given the energy shields of the White Knightmare—and did I mention they can fly?"

Jaws dropped, and for the second time in his life, Lelouch was amused to bear witness to a silence quieter than dead.

"You're…kidding," Tamaki voiced in disbelief. "You mean…that Britannian bastard actually came through for us?"

A rather amused chuckle came from the masked visage of Avenger, as the man acknowledged.

"You should remember that there are Britannians that hate Britannia," the Servant replied, his arms moving and sweeping dramatically as he spoke. "Britannians such as the Governor General…and such as myself..."

There was a stir, as the gathered Black Knights remembered the little fact that their leaders were not Japanese (as they themselves had admitted at the meeting with Kyoto), though they collectively agreed that they could not argue with results.

"Avenger," Tohdoh spoke up, gesturing at a separate group of five Knightmare Frames that had been placed off to the side, four black-painted Gekkas and a black and silver Vincent. "What about these frames?"

"These, Tohdoh, are for you and the Four Holy Swords," Avenger's voice rumbled out, bowing ever so slightly to that group of elite pilots. "They are frames that have been customized for each one of you, in recognition of your skill and ability, for the battle that is to come."

At this, Tohdoh bowed in return, with the Four Holy Swords following suit.

"You have my thanks, Avenger," the former Lt. Colonel said with sincere gratitude. "And that of the Four Holy Swords."

But the Servant merely bid them straighten, his mirrored gaze moving to each of them in turn.

"I need no thanks, Tohdoh," answered the subcommander of the Black Knights, his voice pitched so that all could hear. "None, that is, save victory. If you are grateful for what you have received, then for the sake of Japan, we must prevail in our upcoming battle."

"Your orders then, Avenger?" Ohgi asked, eager to get the rest of the Knights familiarized with the new equipment.

"Ohgi, you are to help train the Black Knights with this equipment, familiarizing them with its use. Tohdoh, to you will fall the responsibility of devising useful tactics, as you and Kallen will coordinate with the Governor General on tactics to hold back our mutual enemies," the Servant ordered, mirrored visage displaying no trace of emotion. "His aerial battleships will be instrumental in fending off those of our opponents, for the Britannians have sent their entire Pacific Fleet to crush us, along with the Knights of the Round."

"The Knights of the Round, but—"

Voices of shock and disbelief arose once more, but an upraised hand silenced them, as Avenger's gaze swept over the assembled warriors.

"Britannia is sending against us its most renowned warriors in an attempt to break us once and for all, not because they see us as worthless, but because our actions have shaken the homeland to its very core," intoned the masked man of shadow and flames, to a chorus of nods and murmurs. "Because we have defeated the Chief General of their armies, they fear us as the only real threat to their power, thus this all out assault."

Underneath his mask, Lelouch smiled, plying this opportunity for drama to the utmost.

"Should we weather the storm and crush them once and for all," he spoke, urging his troops onwards, "we of the Order of Black Knights will be immortalized as those who truly render judgment on the oppressors of the weak. Should we weather the storm, we will have brought hope to all those who suffer around the world. Should we weather the storm, Japan will be free, my comrades, released from the grip of Britannian tyranny."

A moment of silence, while he allowed his words to sink in, then…

"So I urge you to fight," he finished softly, yet firmly. "To fight, not for me, not for Zero, but for yourselves, for the wish you hold within you, the geass that will not allow you to fail. Not for the me that believes in you, or the you that believes in me, but the you who believes in yourself. For you are the Order of Black Knights, the ones who stand in judgment of the world, who make the impossible possible, the ones who will forge a miracle with your own hands."

**

* * *

**

**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

Within the Student Council Clubroom, Rivalz, Shirley, Nina, and a recently returned Milly were watching the news uneasily, as program after program announced that the shocking news that Knight of One, along with the rest of the Rounds, were on his way to Area 11 to take over the duties of governance from Earl Asplund, a man who had proven himself incompetent with his failure to stop Zero, as well as to "restore order" to the territory, as the Emperor was concerned about the state of "unrest."

"They're sending in all of the Rounds for something like that?" asked Rivalz, a horrified expression on his face. "Isn't that…overkill? Especially as Zero hasn't actually ever acted against Britannia without provocation? And since rumors say that it was the Black Knights who dealt with the Chinese Federation's invasion?"

"Yeah," answered Shirley, her eyes clouding with concern for her fellow students—or one, in particular. "If Britannia goes to all out war with the Black Knights in Area 11, turning this place into a warzone, what's going to happen to us?"

For once, even the usually cheerful Milly Ashford looked grim, her eyes haunted as she took in the news that she had been expecting for some time.

"Those of us without a side will only be caught in the crossfire…" she replied, an answer that only further unsettled the students there. "Britannia doesn't care about the lives it has to throw away, since it can just blame the fighting on Zero…in the end, all of us are disposable."

'_Sooner or later, we all will have to choose a side, since as soon as the Rounds land, the Governor General will declare his defiance, as all of us rise in rebellion against the Crown.'_

* * *

A/N: So, the pieces are assembled…soon, battles for survival itself will commence, with the forces of the Knights necessarily split, as things begin to move towards a grand confrontation that will shake the world itself! Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated.

* * *

**Omake**

"Well done," Avenger acknowledged, his voice dripping with honeyed praise. "I'm impressed with your achievements. Though I wonder…have you managed the same with the repairs to the Guren?"

Rakshata chuckled lightly at this question, a lazy smile spreading across her face.

"Well, I was wondering when you would finally ask," replied the dark-skinned blonde, walking towards a corner of the hanger where her personal research team was finishing up some enhancements.

There stood the familiar red-painted Knightmare called the Gurren Mk-II, although there were some key differences from the last time Zero and Avenger had seen it. Perhaps the most obvious change was the presence of a black and yellow W-shaped wing to the back, allowing it to fly, though it had also been given a new paint job, making it look as if the body of the Knightmare was a giant grinning face with glowing yellow eyes. The head had been overhauled, now apparently silver steel, covered by a crimson helmet with a yellow crescent as adornment, and the rest of the Knightmare had been liberally reinforced with black and yellow armor, but most disconcertingly of all—

"…Rakshata, why is a Knightmare wearing sunglasses?" the immortal C.C. asked, somewhat confused by the change in design. "And why are there…drills?"

Indeed, it appeared that this upgraded unit had the ability to extend drills from most of its body, with the wrist mounted drill attachments apparently being the main hand to hand weapons, designed to shatter swords, lances, or other melee implements.

"Well, I was wondering when you would finally ask," replied the dark-skinned blonde, walking towards a corner of the hanger where her personal research team was finishing up some enhancements. "We are to the ones who oppose Britannia's wall to progress, are we not? Then is the drill not a perfect symbol for us, tearing open holes and breaking through barriers every time—showing that once we've dug through, we've won?"

"Oh?" the immortal asked, somewhat amused by this. "Go on."

"Yes, just as science evolves moment by moment, so do people," Rakshata continued, growing somewhat more animated with each word. "Little by little, we advance further with each turn, walking the path of the spiral! That's the way a drill works! In this world, Britannia acts like a king, sealing away the numbers…and that…that is its limit."

"O…k..." Avenger said—

But Rakshata was not finished yet, taking a deep breath as she continued.

"Mark my words!" she cried out, gesturing at the upgraded machine. "This drill will open a hole in the universe, a path for those who rally behind us! For the dreams of those who've fallen! The hopes of those who'll follow! Those two sets of dreams weave together in a double helix, drilling a path towards tomorrow!"

"Are you sure—"

"Of course, rejecting common sense to make the impossible possible, isn't that the way of the Order of Black Knights?" Rakshata asked, eyes wide, speaking rapidly as if possessed by something. "The probabilities of your victories were close to zero percent…but I've learned that probabilities are meaningless when it comes to you, Zero."

"Are we still talking about the Guren Mk-II?" Avenger asked, raising an eyebrow, once the Indian scientist seemed to calm down slightly. "Or…"

"Guren Mk-II?" the scientist replied, laughing. "No, not the Guren Mk-II, such a technical name, but Gurren Lagann, the raging inferno that shall pierce the order of heaven!"

With that, Rakshata collapsed onto a conveniently placed couch, her pipe clattering to the floor as Avenger and Zero stared.

"Did someone give Rakshata something besides her usual?" Avenger demanded, though no one dared to answer.

"…I don't know what she was on," Zero said at last. "But I want some."


	29. Enyo Ascendant

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Undisclosed Location**

Quietly, eyes were slowly opened, and like emerging from mud, the consciousness awakened from a deep and fevered sleep. It was morning, and the world was flooded with a silver light sweeping over golden fields in the distance, without a shadow to be seen on this peaceful day where all traces of the nightmare of war had faded. Or so it seemed, as Rider looked down, examining herself to find that she was in the full form of a Servant, with fiery tresses spilling in waves to her waist, though her attire this time was slightly more formal than her battledress, a recreation of the black taffeta gown she had worn to the masquerade ball.

'_So, I am in a Phantasm World of some sort…'_ Kallen realized, though unlike her most of other (life-threatening) sojourns into phantasmagoria, there was no sense of danger here, only a deep and abiding solitude, one she found all too familiar. _'Zero's Phantasm World, though it looks much different from the last time I was here…'_

Indeed, this time, the Servant was not lying in the midst of a grassy field, but standing on the balcony of some sort of citadel, a castle worn by time but still standing proud as the day it was built, with alabaster walls gleaming in the light and crenellations soaring towards the sky, with the ocean in the hazy distance, as eerie melodies echoed through the halls.

'_From what I know of Phantasm Worlds, the only way to leave one is if the creator of that world permits it, so if this is Zero's world, I may as well find out what she wants,' _the redhead mused, sighing, ignoring the faint throbbing in her head. At least the leader of the Black Knights tended to give reasonable, if somewhat oblique answers to Rider's questions, so the witch would most likely be able to tell her why she was here, since Zero herself had denied any special link existing between her and the Servant. _'And to find out what she wants, I'll probably have to find her, I suppose…'_

Trusting her instincts, the girl turned from the view of the outside world and entered the castle, following the music towards its source. What was within was as strange and bare as what was without, as the first thing Kallen passed through was a grand hall of mirrors, some reflecting her visage in eclectic shapes and sizes and poses, while other frames seemed to show different images from her life, each one a snapshot of a moment she held dear.

'_That's…mother and I walking in a field. There's my older brother…and my father? The war. My childhood. The founding of the Black Knights…but how?'_

Was this what Zero had meant when she said that Avenger had no secrets from her? That she could see into a Servant's mind and heart, with nothing held back? If so, it was a rather daunting thought…

_Clip-clop clip-clop clip-clop. _Pause_. Clip-clop clip-clop clip-clop._

Her footsteps, soft as they were, echoed like screams from the sterile walls of stone, her many doppelgangers following her progress on the walls as the Servant walked on, looking hither and fro with azure eyes, crimson stands of hairs shifting slightly as she gazed from side to side, walking past the hall of mirrors through a gallery of paintings of every age, with a multitude of voices babbling, whispering, moaning in time with the eerie melody wafting from the inner keep.

_Clip-clop clip-clop clip-clop. _Pause_. Clip-clop clip-clop clip-clop._

She continued onward, following the music though areas pristine and decayed, all of an architectural style unfamiliar to her, until at last her feet led her to two giant bronze doors decorated with relief images of seven figures, with the names inscribed below each denoting the classes of Servants chosen for the Eden Vital War.

'_An Asian swordsman of some sort – Saber. A strange man with headphones and visor, holding a rifle with a chainsaw bayonet – Archer. The Knight with two spears – Lancer. The armored knight – Berserker. The black cloaked figure with a white mask, tossing knives – Assassin.'_

It was with a chill as she recognized that the identity of the last two Servants depicted on the doors, with herself as Rider, and…

'…_Charles zi Britannia as Caster. Wait…the Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire has this power as well? And where the hell is Avenger?'_

A rather good question, as there was no relief image of an eighth Servant, only an empty portal inscribed with the sigil of Geass, with manacles and broken chains lying in ruins all about it, from which she felt the same instinctive aversion as around the man wreathed in shadow and flame.

'_That's…very odd,'_ she thought to herself, her brows knitting together in confusion—but had no more time to ponder the matter, as the two immense doors stretching to the ceiling swung open of their own accord, with the volume of the music rising. _'Might as well see this through to the end…'_

Her skirts rustling around her legs, Rider stepped across the threshold of the inner sanctum—and found herself within the confines of a dance floor of glass suspended in the sky, the wind fluttering around her, as her form was held in the arms of the Black Prince (also in a variant of what he had worn at the masquerade ball) as their bodies pressed together for warmth, moving together in a slow waltz, looking into each other's eyes, blushing slightly at the close proximity.

"Let me guess," Avenger murmured into Kallen's ear as the two whirled and stepped across the dance floor in time with the melody. "Zero brought you here as well, didn't she, Q-1?"

"So it seems, _Lulu,"_ Servant Rider answered, a faint smile on her face at the strange nature of the situation…not that her being chosen as an independent Champion of the Eden Vital War wasn't already strange enough. "Though I have to wonder why, since she kicked me out the last time we came here."

Avenger only chuckled in that unknowingly rakish way of his that caused most girls to swoon, as the two continued to dance, moving as if compelled by the music.

"Zero has her reasons for what she does, I'm sure," spoke the raven-haired prince, smirking ever so slightly. "Though this time, it's because your body is still asleep in the physical world – the aftereffects of overusing your Geass at Kyushu."

Rider paused for a moment in their dancing as she managed a look of chagrin.

"I guess I just got a little too used to being able to use my ability to win battles," Kallen replied at last, sighing as she shook her head. "It's—"

"A powerful Geass, to be sure," Avenger acknowledged, smiling enigmatically at his companion, as if unsure whether to be pleased or annoyed by this. "However, like all the others, it has its weaknesses—"

"Right, like not working on what I can't see," Rider finished, recalling all too well how her Knightmare's float unit had been destroyed by an enemy that remained hidden when its comrades had attacked, waiting for a moment to strike. _'That's why I make sure I usually make sure I have a wall behind me, or someone watching my back…which Avenger has been very good at.'_

The last part, she would concede only under pain of death (or perhaps under the compulsion of Absolute Obedience, but thankfully, no one in this Eden Vital War had that absurdly overpowered ability), even if she did owe the man of blood and fire her life more than a few times.

"Good, you're learning," Avenger murmured, his intense but distant violet eyes looking into her blue. "You'll need it to survive the upcoming battle, which will be soon after you awaken."

"Battle?" Rider repeated, as she spun out from Lelouch and back towards him. "So soon after Kyushu? Don't tell me, its…"

Cutting her off was a harsh, dark laugh that reminded Kallen of exactly why she had thought of Lelouch as a demon during their first encounter.

"Oh yes," the demon king replied, his lips twisting into a rather Cheshire smile. "The Britannian homeland has taken notice of us…or rather, V.V. has, which means that Caster has dispatched the Knights of the Round and the Pacific Fleet to…pacify Area 11, as it were."

Both of Kallen's eyebrows shot for the sky at the mention of Britannia's elite soldiers, as she'd never expected that Britannia would send those particular warriors against them. The only question then was…

"How many, and how soon?" the redhead asked, her gaze intent and demanding as she looked at her comrade.

"All seven of them, along with their attendants," the exiled prince spoke with finality. "Their goal, of course, is to crush Zero, along with anyone that stands in their way. It would take a miracle for us to survive, let alone win…"

Hearing this, Kallen stopped in her tracks, and pushed away from Avenger, her will temporarily overriding the will of the Phantasm World's maker.

"You've said that particular sentence before, Lelouch vi Britannia, prince of lies," Rider noted, crossing her arms as the two stood suspended between heaven and earth. "I assume you have a plan."

"Oh, do I really?" the man questioned wryly, trying his best to look clueless.

Kallen found this particular expression hilarious, and ended up punching her fellow Servant on the shoulder, though only hard enough to make him wince slightly.

"I suppose it must feel good not to have to act like an invalid around me," Avenger joked, only for Rider to send a withering glare at him.

"Don't even start, Avenger, you'll ruin the mood," the redhead returned, shaking her head. "Anyway, miracle do you have in mind this time?"

The Black Prince answered with a crooked smile and three words, but it was those words that shook Rider to her core: "You, Q-1."

It took a few seconds for that simple word to sink in, but when it did…

"Wh-wh-what?ǃ" the redhead shouted, backpedaling as her jaw dropped open in shock and the faintest hint of a flush spread across her face (was it from anger? Probably). "You mean you—"

"—do have more of a plan than that, yes, but you are at the heart of it, as you always have been, my dear Q-1," Avenger replied almost tenderly, acknowledging her contributions to his cause. "Without you and your power, it would have been a much…longer road to the founding of the Order of Black Knights, and we would not be so very close to victory."

Despite herself and the winds wrapping around both of them, Kallen felt a little core of warmth flare inside at Lelouch's unusually kind words.

"Was that why you spared me when we first fought, because I could be useful to you?" the redhead asked, her voice soft and not a little brittle, looking away from the raven-haired prince. "Even though I nearly killed you in that demonic world of yours?"

"So you did, but I didn't end up dying, did I?" Lelouch questioned slyly. "As I remember, it proved a little harder to kill a demon than you thought."

"At least you turned out to be a friendly demon," Rider replied with a harrumph. "Still, you didn't answer the question, _Lulu._"

"You and I share similar pains, forced to live lies in order to seek our goals," the raven haired prince answered at last, showing himself to be surprisingly vulnerable at times. "Seekers of liminality, walking along a hard path towards victory—so why not walk together?"

"I watch your back and you watch mine, eh?" Rider mused aloud. "I suppose I can live with that."

There was a rustle of cloth, and both Servants turned, only to find themselves face to mask with the mysterious individual known only as Zero, with the figure dressed in her usual ensemble of midnight purple, gold and black.

"Greetings Rider, Avenger," came the voice of the Grey Witch, as always seeming amused by the one thing or another. "Much as I hate to interrupt this touching moment, we have some business to discuss."

Both Servants nodded attentively, as they regarded the Geass Witch with expectation.

"I assume this is about our plan of action?" Rider asked, as Zero nodded.

"Indeed it is," the immortal responded gravely. "While Avenger has no doubt filled you in on the imminent attack by the Knights of Round, what he neglected to mention was that Britannia has arranged for a marriage of state between the Chinese Empress Tianzi and Crown Prince Odysseus eu Britannia."

"…you're kidding," Kallen replied, suddenly annoyed at this new development.

"I'm afraid not," Zero answered, looking between the two Servants. "Thus Avenger and I are needed to…crash the wedding, for lack of a better term, hopefully eliminating some of the Knights of Round dispatched to protect the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Speaking of which, Avenger, I'll take over from here…you are needed to prepare the _Skeith_."

"Very well," the subcommander of the Black Knights responded, as a net of light engulfed his form and he vanished from this Phantasm World.

"And the rest of us?" Kallen asked, narrowing her eyes.

"It is as you guess, Kallen Kozuki," the immortal responded, raising an eyebrow under her mask. "You and the rest of the Black Knights, in conjunction with the Governor General's forces, must defeat the Knights of Rounds and the Pacific Fleet in our absence. To that end, your Guren has been upgraded to a more powerful flight-enabled form—and the rest of the Black Knights have been given flight-capable Knightmares derived from the White Knightmare you know well."

"And you believe me capable of this?" Kallen asked for confirmation.

"Of course," the immortal answered, amused. "You would hardly have been chosen as Servant Rider if your skill were not among the best in the world."

"I see…then our path is set then, isn't it?" Rider accepted, her stance setting with grim resolve.

"Indeed," Zero confirmed, nodding slightly. "All paths of retreat have been cut off—the only choice is to fight…and win. Thus we will, because we must, and you will lead the Knightmares against the Britannian host."

"I won't let you down, Zero."

And then there was nothing more to be said, and after a long moment of silence, both figures vanished from that illusory world.

* * *

**Airship Construction Hangar, Shikinejima**

After the news announcement where the Britannians and Elevens in Area 11 had first learned of the impending arrival of the Knights of the Round, many people were rather…unsettled, to put it lightly, as they knew that the Rounds were usually used to suppress violent uprisings or crush resistance in countries being conquered with overwhelming force.

'_But to use the Rounds against a peaceful Area…'_

Many Britannians were horrified at the prospect, knowing how merciless those elite warriors could be in the pursuit of their goal, especially as Zero and the Black Knights had it made clear that they would stand against oppressors, no matter how formidable said oppressors would be. And given what the Black Knights had achieved in the past, the level of fighting would be likely be savage, plunging all of Area 11 into war—something that even the most hardened Britannian feared when they were the ones at risk.

Those who had served at Narita and in other battles against Zero were likewise afraid, knowing that their inability to fight, due to the terms of surrender, would likely lead to their being used as disposable pawns by the Rounds, used as examples of what happened to those who bowed their heads to the enemies of the Holy Britannian Empire.

All in all, a miasma of unease spread over the Area, with productivity lowering as people worried about the events in the coming days.

Ashford Academy was no exception to this, especially since Student Council President Milly Ashford and Vice President Lelouch Lamperouge had both been absent for the majority of the last week, meaning little enough work being done by the Student Council and no strange events to distance the students from the specter of war. And on the one day when Milly had shown up and spent time with the Student Council, she had not been the ray of sunshine that she usually was, instead saying only that Britannia would throw all of them away if it meant victory, that their lives were disposable.

For those who thought of Milly as Ashford's sun, hearing this from her in conjunction with the news was rather…chilling, at best, especially since she had disappeared shortly thereafter on business for her "job", which had apparently changed from a press internship to being an "aide" for the Governor General, an ambiguous enough job description that most didn't ask questions about what she did for the Earl of Pudding.

Interestingly enough, the only person who would find out the details of Milly's new job was Nina Einstein, the shy but fiendishly intelligent member of the Student Council whose work had been noticed by Earl Asplund himself, with the Governor General issuing her an invitation to join him on Shikinejima, where he mentioned that he had an interesting research opportunity waiting for her.

'_I wonder what it is, especially at a time like this…'_ Nina had thought, but had accepted the invitation, finding herself rather surprised when a giant Knightmare had come to ferry her to the island, piloted by a visored figure in an oddly familiar black and silver outfit that resembled—

"Milly, is that you?" the young scientist asked timidly.

"Why yes it is," the errant Student Council President had replied, while manipulating the keyboard controls of the _Gawain_, which the blonde explained was an experimental prototype that the Earl retained for his personal use. "The Governor General found out about me after asking around about the owners of the Ganymede."

"Oh, I see," Nina acknowledged quietly, curious about this more serious side to her friend. She had always thought of Milly as someone who only played around, using Ashford as a shield when the blonde was in trouble, but this sterner more business-like Milly was rather fascinating, and Nina wondered what had brought about the change.

The glasses wearing girl ended up simply observing for most of the short flight to Shikinejima, noting an unusually high amount of air traffic, with aerial light cruisers, knightmares, and VTOLs of makes and models that she was unfamiliar with moving between several of the smaller islands in the area, almost as if preparing for an operation of some sort. And then they were there, with the _Gawain_ touching down on the tarmac and quickly rolling inside the hangar, where Milly and Nina disembarked.

"Professor Asplund!" Nina greeted, seeing the Governor General nearby, arguing with…was that Rakshata Chawla, known as one of the masters of medical cybernetics? And then, as her eyes darted around the hangar, she saw more important personages going about their business, including the Director of Camelot, the Sub-Viceroy, _the Ashford maid Sayoko, _and some various others.

'_There are…Elevens…'_ the girl realized with shock, wondering how on earth they had gotten into this military facility, especially when they didn't wear the uniform of the Britannian army, but… _'Black Knights…they're part of the Black Knights. And if the Order is here, could _he_ be here as well?'_

The "he" in question was the one who had rescued Nina from the Japanese Liberation Front, the intensely charismatic masked man that she had come to idolize and revere as a hero.

It was at about this time that Earl Asplund, wishing to take a break from Rakshata's barrage of insults, looked around and noticed the new arrivals, coming over to greet them.

"Why hello, Miss Ashford, Miss Einstein," the Governor General said politely, smiling as he regarded the two. "I'm pleased that you could make it before the maiden voyage of the _Skeith, _as we wouldn't want it to leave without its communication officer and science officer aboard._"_

"Science officer?" Nina echoed, unsure of what the post would entail, as she had never heard of such a thing about a Britannian airship before.

"Why of course," the Governor General replied. "As the first of the _Camlann-_class stealth battlecruisers, the _Skeith _is an experimental testbed for a number of new technologies, and I need someone I can count on to take notes on how it all works together. You won't let me down, hm?"

"Of course not, Professor Asplund!" the glasses girl all but gushed, reaching and out and pumping the Earl of Pudding's hand vigorously. "This is such an opportunity! I'm very grateful."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you are," the Earl answered, nodding to both of them as he turned to go. "You might as well stow the _Gawain_ and report to your duty stations. Our boss doesn't like to be kept waiting."

When the Governor General had gone out of earshot, Nina turned to her friend quizzically, as she was slightly confused by Lloyd's mention of a "boss."

"Milly, isn't the Governor General the highest rank in an Area?" the glasses girl asked, receiving a nod from the blonde. "So…who is this 'boss'?"

In response, Milly only laughed, her lips twisting into a mischievous smirk.

"Oh, I think you'll find out soon enough."

**

* * *

**

**Zero's Temporary Quarters, Barracks, Shikinejima**

"Oooh gods, I forgot how much abusing that ability could hurt," came a groggy moan from a military-issue bed, as Servant Rider stirred at last, emerging from her trance back into reality. Wanting to confirm her surroundings, Kallen's eyes darted about slowly until they came to rest upon the masked figure of the Code-bearer and…_Princess Euphemia?_, with Rider realizing that she wasn't back at her home, at Ashford Academy, or the Black Knight's Submarine. "Eh? Where am I and how long was I out this time?"

"A little less than three days," Zero replied, removing her gloved palm from Kallen's forehead, as most of the aches and pains faded with it. "You would have been out longer, but events forced me to expedite your awakening, as the Knights of the Rounds are en route, and you need to be familiarized with your new Knightmare."

"I understand, Zero. Thank you, as always," Rider answered, nodding slightly, but trying not to move too much to prevent a violent headache from breaking out. Then she took notice of the fact that Euphie was clutching onto one of her hands, a concerned expression on her face, and the redhead found herself flushing a bit. "So you decided to join us after all, Euphie."

"I thought if the Black Knights had a Black Prince that they could perhaps use a princess to match," Euphemia murmured teasingly. "Welcome back, Kallen."

"It's…good to be back, Euphie," Rider responded, as Zero got up and headed towards the door.

"Now, I'm not in the habit of intruding on lovebirds, so I'd best be leaving," the immortal Witch quipped as triggered open the door, her cape fluttering behind her. "I have a wedding to crash, so I leave the defense of Area 11 in your hands, Q-1."

"I thought only Avenger called me that," the Ace of the Black Knights shot back playfully.

"What can I say, he rubs off on people," C.C. replied, heading out and leaving the two alone, with a few last words called after her. "Even me, after a fashion."

Within the room, there was once again silence, as the pink-haired princess helped Rider to sit up and get some water, before silently handing her what looked like a pin of Knighthood, only all in black, with silver edging, instead of with the royal colors of blue, gold, and white.

"What's this?" Kallen asked, raising an eyebrow at the adornment.

"A badge of Knighthood, altered to reflect the situation," Euphie replied, not quite meeting the redhead's eyes, as she closed Rider's fingers about the accoutrement.

"I'm afraid I can't really swear fealty to the Holy Britannian Empire at this point," Kallen said dryly, "or to the crown, for that matter."

"I'm not asking you to be Britannia's Knight, but a Knight of the gentler world being built," Euphemia answered, finally looking at the Black Knight with an intensity that surprised the redhead. "As a Black Knight, you are already more of a Knight in honor and devotion than many of the Rounds, so I give you this badge not to tie you to something, but to acknowledge all that you already are, Kallen Kozuki."

It was the first time that the Sub-Viceroy had said the redhead's full (true) name, and Kallen smiled at this.

"Thank you," the redhead said at last. "Then, as the shield that protects the weak, the sword that slashes away oppressors, I accept this geass."

**

* * *

**

**Bridge, Stealth Battlecruiser **_**Skeith**_

On board the _Skeith, _last minute modifications and adjustments were being made, with personnel getting to duty stations, final diagnostics being run, and Knightmares being brought aboard in preparation for the refitted ship's maiden voyage, with Avenger surveying the progress of these procedures, observing how the Black Knights he had brought aboard were working with the rest of the crew.

Several volunteers had stepped forward when the man cloaked in fire and shade had requested technicians capable of running the systems of an aerial cruiser, with the "bridge bunnies" (as Avenger thought of them) Ayame Futaba, Ichijiku Hinata, and Mutsuki Minase, manning tactical systems, radar, and navigation respectively, while Kikuko Inoue (from the original resistance group) served as the nominal captain of the _Skeith_.

But of course, as this ship was something of a joint venture, the Black Knights were working together with some Britannian crewmembers, all of these with sympathies or loyalties to the Order of Black Knights, of course, given the nature of the mission—with a few yet to come aboard.

'_Our first mission… is to infiltrate the Chinese Federation, disrupt the wedding, start a coup d'etat, and hopefully eliminate the Britannian presence there—including Prime Minister Schneizel and any Knights of Round,' _Lelouch mused to himself, knowing how critical it was that they succeed. It was for this reason that Zero and Avenger would be in command of the _Skeith_ during this mission, since their powers would likely be needed, as well as their personal Knightmares. _'And if things should get bad enough, Zero _can_ control the _Skeith _using the neural interface systems built into the command chair_, _allowing_ _the rest of us to board Knightmares.'_

So far, it seemed like things were going well, as Zero had finished the process of awakening Kallen from her trance, the _Gawain_ had been loaded into the hangar bay, and Milly was on her way to the bridge.

'_At least the ship will have its communications officer when we get to…'_

"Master Avenger!" came an excited voice from the direction of the lift, as the doors hissed open and an enthusiastic Kaguya Sumeragi (wearing something like a pink schoolgirl uniform) ran and glomped the man of fire and shade, causing his face to twitch under the mask. "Your newlywed wife is here!"

'_Right, it is necessary to have her on board because she was the only one among us actually invited to the reception before the wedding…'_ the raven-haired prince told himself, in an attempt to keep himself calm. _'Without her, there _is_ no mission…'_

"Lady Kaguya, it is a pleasure as always," Avenger replied gravely, gingerly putting his arms on the young girl's shoulders and extricating himself from the glomp. "I see your enthusiasm remains uncurbed."

The lift hissed open again, as Zero and Servant Saber stepped out onto the bridge, with the immortal raising an eyebrow at the situation.

"Avenger, no seduction of minors while on duty, please," the Grey Witch spoke, in that amused way of hers. "Come come, Lady Kaguya, let's not mix business with pleasure."

"Oh, but it's only natural," replied the young headmistress of the Kyoto House. "After all, heroes are fond of sensual pleasures, so if we consider the physiology of mature men…"

_Hiss!_

Once more the doors of the lift opened, revealing Milly Ashford, the _Skeith_'s communications officer, as well as Nina Einstein, science officer.

"…Milly, is that…?" Nina asked, her voice shaking with disbelief as she laid eyes on the masked figure wreathed in shadow and flame, her eyes darting to and fro on the bridge, aghast at the realization that every person there, except Avenger, and whoever the man besides Zero was, was female.

'_Could it be that Avenger already has a harem…?ǃ'_

The fangirls on the Internet had been quite quite rabid about the masked man, and if these attitudes held true even within the Black Knights...

"Ah, Miss Ashford, Miss Einstein, greetings," Avenger said, taking notice of the two (especially at Milly wearing the poker face she used to repress nearly uncontrollable bouts of laughter) and walking over to them, thankful for a distraction from the mortifying conversation. "Welcome aboard the _Skeith, _the first ever _Camlann_-class stealth cruiser. I trust conditions have been satisfactory, and that the _Gawain_ has been stowed."

"Of course, Avenger," replied a thoroughly amused Milly, doing her utmost to keep from grinning. "I live to serve."

Something about that tone of voice told Lelouch that she would remember this and use it against him as future teasing material, but nevertheless…

"Avenger…" breathed Nina, timidly walking up to her idol. "I wanted to thank you…for saving me. You probably don't remember but…"

"Ah, the hoteljacking incident, correct?" asked the man of shadow and flame. "I'm glad to see you're doing well, young lady. I look forward to the pleasure of working with you."

Nina looked down and flushed at the fact that one such as Avenger would remember her, a fact that did not go unnoticed by any on the bridge, least of all Lady Kaguya.

"So, what was that about heroes and sensual pleasures, Lady Kaguya?" Zero teased, mirrored gaze looking about at all the attractive women that made up the bridge crew, but particularly the knot in front of Avenger.

"Oh, I don't mind," the headmistress of Kyoto replied cheekily, walking over to the odd group, offering her hands to both Milly and Nina. "Thank you for taking care of Avenger in my absence."

"You don't need to thank me for that," Milly replied wryly, shaking the Japanese girl's hand. She had a feeling she'd get on well with this one.

"I…I…" Nina began, but was cut off, flinching and letting out a startled "eep!" as Kaguya Sumeragi grabbed one of her hands, bringing the hands of all three girls together.

"We three who support Master Avenger," the headmistress of Kyoto began, her face lighting up as she was…_inspired. _"We are Avenger-sama's Three Court Ladies!"

"Court Ladies?" Milly and Nina asked in stereo, as Zero found herself very thankful for the mask, as it was easier to laugh silently than to keep a straight face at this development, as did Avenger, as it hid his mortified visage.

"Traditional _attendants_ to the Emperor, if one will," the immortal filled in with a sense of wicked glee, with the two Britannians flushing at these words, before Zero turned businesslike once again. "I suppose it's good to know you are more of a woman than you appear, Lady Kaguya."

To recover from this embarrassment, Avenger coughed once, nodding to the group as he turned back to the front of the ship.

"All stations, status report please?" he requested, getting everyone's attention off of his own little situation.

"Blaze Luminous checks out, all weapons systems online, electrical hull generators standing by, Knightmares secured for aerial transport, catapult in standby mode for launch," reported Ayame Futaba. "Gefjun Stealth field is deployed and holding. Tactical station reports ready."

"We are clear of the hangar, and flight control acknowledges a clear airlane for departure," reported Ichijiku Hinata. "Sensor suite and druid system reporting fully operational."

"Float system is online and standing by," added Mutsuki Minase. "Vernier maneuvering thrusters standing by. Gyroscopic stabilizers active. Course laid in for the Vermilion Forbidden City in Luoyang, Chinese Federation."

"A communiqué from Q-1," reported Milly Ashford, who had moved over to her station, where she strapped in next to Nina. "Plan Innis of Operation Morrigan is proceeding on schedule."

"The _Skeith_ reports ready for maiden voyage, Avenger," Captain Kikuko Inoue summed up briefly. "All systems are operational, and flight clearance is ours."

"Excellent," acknowledged Avenger, satisfied as to the state of the ship. "Captain Inoue, the honor is yours. Say the word, and we'll be off."

"Very well, thank you Avenger," the blue-haired woman nodded, accepting command and turning to the bridge bunnies. "Well then, you hard the man. Make it so."

And with that, the shadowed form of the _Camlann-_class stealth cruiser _Skeith_ lifted into the sky, gaining altitude little by little as it zoomed up above the clouds and out of sight, speeding for its rendezvous with destiny.

* * *

**A/N**: So the _Skeith _launches, with its crew off to perform a rather delicate (or indelicate) political operation in the Chinese Federation. Coming up next, the fight against the Knights of Round begins, and Area 11 declares its independence from the Holy Britannian Empire. Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated!


	30. Winds of Plague

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Airship Construction Hangar, Shikinejima **

On the island of Shikinejima, even a casual observer would likely note an unusually high amount of activity for what was usually a simple base for the maintenance of airships, especially when one considered the high security there, with full complements of flight-enabled Knightmares and full loads of upgraded armaments being loaded onto the aerial battleship _Avalon_ and numerous _Caerleon-_class light cruisers, as vast numbers of individuals in Black Knight uniforms made to board the ships.

Off to the side, Governor General Lloyd Asplund was rather pleased by how well the team of technical experts and technicians had worked in implementing…that woman's…upgrades to the _Avalon _and the other ships in his fleet, which for the most part had simply meant enhancing the energy shielding and stealth systems via the integration of Gefjun Disturber technology, a simple fix that even the Earl of Pudding was forced to concede worked well.

(Only the _Skeith_ had required additional work, and that was because…well, to put it simply, the Governor General, the Director of Camelot, and Rakshata had all gotten a little carried away with tweaks and modifications, essentially creating a new type of ship in the process. In any case, that ship was now on its way to the Chinese Federation, leaving Lloyd Asplund to deal with the pesky Knights of the Round.)

"That's it, that's it," the Governor General called out to the few stragglers still making a few last tweaks, his eyes bright with demented glee. "Pack it up, pack it up, we're out of time!"

But all that was over now, and the rigging that had for so long surrounded many of the grounded ships of his aerial armada was hastily being torn down, with the airships prepped for launch, their commanders being given sealed orders to be opened only when the signal was given in order to prevent any leaks, of course.

"So, Earl of Pudding, you're actually going to go out to the front lines?" asked Rakshata, who was even now, slightly dubious about the Governor General's resolve for such things.

"What better place to gather data than on the spot?" the white-haired man replied, a beatific smile on his face. "Besides, I'm just a cog in Zero's machine…I have to play my part to keep the gears from jamming."

"And you even see yourself as a tool in another's plan," Rakshata drawled, half amused by this, even as she puffed on her pipe. "I suppose I'll remain here to monitor how everything goes—I do so look forward to seeing my 'child' in action."

"You mean…'our' child?" the Earl asked slyly, wanting to rile up his archrival just a—

_Crack!_

The sound of a slap echoed through the hanger, as more than a few technicians turned from their duties towards the two great scientific minds.

"Why you insolent little sociopath!" the Indian scientist huffed, seemingly affronted. "As if I would ever acknowledge your unwanted bastardizations of my inventions as children of mine."

"Lloyd, Rakshata…this isn't the time for this," chided Cecile, who was rapidly becoming somewhat annoyed at the situation. While she was aware of the love/hate relationship between the two college classmates, and how their friendship had frayed due to a…minor incident involving an engineering project, a revolutionary new software control program…and a spilled pudding that wrecked Rakshata's computer (by accident, of course), even she found their bickering rather tiresome after a while. After all, minding Lloyd was difficult enough as it was…and Rakshata was just as bad, with the two of them together being…

'_Best stop that train of thought before it goes somewhere unpleasant,'_ Cecile resolved, with the Director of Camelot shuddering at the thought of the havoc that might one day be unleashed upon the world by those two competing minds.

"Right," Earl Asplund acknowledged sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Cecile, I'll be on the _Avalon, _but I need you back in the Tokyo Settlement to coordinate defenses there with the Lancelot Club. Rakshata will remain at this base, analyzing our combat data as it comes in remotely—"

The Governor General cut himself in mid-sentence to cast a withering glare at the dark-skinned blonde who had the nerve to upbraid him.

"…you _are_ capable of doing something besides lounge around on that couch of yours when not working on those second-rate designs of yours?" the Earl asked skeptically. "Maybe I should be surprised…"

"Just as I'm surprised that you managed to tear yourself away from pudding long enough to become Governor General," Rakshata sniped at her old rival. "Trading one tasteless obsession for another, I suppose."

"Can we please get back to insulting one another _after_ we come out of this alive?" Cecile asked the two sharply, crossing her arms in annoyance, causing the two to gulp nervously. Both mad scientists knew what could happen when Cecile was pushed beyond her limits, given that they had attended school with her before—and knew full well about her qualifications as a devicer / lethal chef.

A moment of tense silence, and then a chuckle.

"Right, well you'd better be off on your _Avalon, _Earl of Pudding," the dark-skinned blonde. "You are playing the lead role in Plan Innis, after all. I have to hand it to Zero…she's as…interesting as ever, even in her absence. Still, I'm surprised…for someone who's been broken from the very beginning, you're actually showing some signs of having a conscience."

"Tch, not at all," Lloyd dismissed. "I'm just following the road of knowledge till the end, since I've sold my soul to science."

Rakshata just looked at the Earl for a moment, extracting her pipe from her mouth.

"Lloyd," she said, actually using his name for the first time in a while.

"What is it, Rakshata?" the Governor General asked.

"Don't die…if you disappear, who else will even pose an enjoyable challenge?" answered the dark-skinned blonde, her lips twisting up into an enigmatic smirk.

"You mean no one else will outdo you as much as I," the white-haired man returned, playfully arrogant to the end. "Anyway, I serve a Reaper, so I think I'm safe for now."

"Heh…you might be right."

With that, the Governor General departed for the _Avalon_, with Cecile boarding the _Lyonesse_, one of the redesigned _Caerleon-_class ships, heading off to do their parts in holding back the oncoming cursed wave of foes.

* * *

**Knightmare Hangar, Aerial Battleship **_**Avalon**_

Wearing the guise of Zero (sans mask), Servant Rider sat within the cockpit of her modified Guren, running a full systems check on it to make sure she was familiar with the revamped systems. True, she had piloted the Guren before, and now had experience with aerial combat thanks to her brief stint in the Lancelot, but…

'_Ok, an Air Glide Wing, a new radiant wave surger, a Blaze Luminous shield, a…interesting…'_

Apparently, Earl Asplund had gone a little overboard in wanting to customize this particular unit, going so far as to swap out the left arm's inbuilt custom handgun for a mini-VARIS, as well as augmenting her fork knife with MVS technology.

'_With this Guren, I won't lose…even against a Knight of Rounds! For I am Servant Rider, an independent Champion of Eden Vital, and I fight for the sake of a wish: freedom.' _

Or so the redhead told herself, as vibrations running through the floor beneath her indicated that the _Avalon_ was taking off. If thing were going as planned, then the flagship would be rendezvousing with the rest of the "Zero Armada", as it was being called, to intercept the Knight of One's personal fleet.

'_If there's one thing that Britannia has an edge in, its numbers,'_ Kallen thought to herself, taking a deep breath as she remembered the briefing. _'The aerial component of their fleet has been split up into four sections, each under the command of one of the four Knight of Rounds headed immediately for Area 11, with the largest of these task forces under the command of Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of One, the man chosen by the Emperor to crush all resistance in this Area.'_

And in the guise of Zero (one that she had oft played), it was Rider's duty to launch an assault on the Fleet, ostensibly to disable any of the weaker ships in the enemy armada, but more importantly, to get their attention.

'_Will I have to use my Geass?'_ the redhead wondered silently, remembering how overuse had led to her almost burning out her mind, leading to her resting in a healing trance for several days at a time. That was something she could ill afford with the land about to come under attack by the Knights of Round, so…_'I'll have to beat most of them the old fashioned way, I guess.'_

Almost despite herself, the Servant let out a derisive snort as she closed her eyes and put on the weighty helm of Zero, steeling herself for battle.

"Pilot, we have rendezvoused with the fleet and reached the insertion point without incident," the reedy voice of Lloyd Asplund spoke over the radio. "Are you prepared to play your role as Innis?"

Kallen nodded once.

"Yes, just waiting for my cue," she replied, a dangerous smile finding its way onto the redhead's lips. "Whenever you're ready, Governor General."

_Thunk!_

With a series of mechanical clanks and rumbles, the framework of girders holding the Guren Mk-II motionless was retracted, and Kallen powered up the landspinners of the Guren as she pointed the Knightmare towards the launch catapult, waiting for her signal.

"The Blaze Luminous has been lowered for launch," came the voice of the Earl once more. "Good luck, Innis."

"Luck? Oh, I make my own," answered a fired up Kallen. "Guren, now launching!"

At her words, a flash of red shot into the sky, accelerating as it sped towards where the enemy was waiting.

"And now we wait for the fireworks…" mused a certain Earl of Pudding, sitting in his command chair, with legs crossed and fingers steepled.

* * *

**Black Knights Submarine**

Meanwhile, Zero's plan had not neglected the ocean, as many of the Britannian reinforcements would no doubt be arriving by blue-water ships, instead of the more advanced aerial armada. Like it or not, sea power was still a rather important factor in war, given that it was the cheapest way of shipping large quantities of goods, ammunition, weaponry and people over long distances. To do so by air was faster, and an aerial escort was usually provided for any sea-going military taskforce in case of attack, but to transport tens of thousands of troops by air was still…problematic, at best.

Thus, Lt. Colonel Tohdoh, the man responsible for the miracle of Itsushima, had been left in command of the Black Knights' naval forces—the totality of which consisted of a high-speed submarine and a sakuradite tanker that had formerly belonged to the Japanese Liberation Front (now modified to be remotely controlled from the submarine), together with a few Portman Knightmares obtained from the Shikinejima base and a stealthed _Caerleon-_class light cruiser assisting where needed.

It was not exactly the most powerful force with which to confront the Britannian Navy's Pacific Fleet, but then, the Black Knights had never boasted overwhelming numerical superiority. Still, this was…pushing it, bordering on suicidal, as several of the Four Holy Swords pointed out, though to his credit, Tohdoh took this in stride, with faith in Zero's plan, even if the woman herself were not present among them.

'_Our leader is right about one thing, that many of our miracles have been the result of Zero's direct action…and that to be a truly known and respected, we must be able to act independently,'_ Tohdoh mused silently, watching over submarine operators going about their tasks.

"Have we located the main body of the Pacific Fleet yet?" the man asked, noting the live feed from the cameras mounted on the tanker. "According to our intelligence, they should be headed towards Port Yokosuka."

"Nothing from the tanker, however, the stealth cruiser _Brocéliande _has spotted a massive formation of ships inbound, approaching Tokyo Bay from the south," one of the techs reported, studying the data relayed over tight-beam communications with their air support (used instead of radio to prevent disclosure of location to the enemy). "It appears to consist of mostly destroyers and battleship/carrier hybrids, with IFF readings confirming it as the bulk of the Britannian Pacific Fleet. Unfortunately, our escort cannot approach any further, due to enemy air support."

"Excellent," Tohdoh of Miracles voiced in approval, his lips pressing together into a thin line as he considered the imminent commencement of hostilities. "Change course to intercept, using the tanker to lead them towards our closest designated 'Bermuda point.' The _Brocéliande _is to continue a wide ranging patrol, seeking out other elements of the Fleet."

His gaze drifted momentarily to a map of seafloor deposits of certain hydrates, with several points denoted as ideal for engagement.

"Affirmative," the tech replied, sending a copy of the orders to the _Brocéliande._ "Air support acknowledges course correction and is moving to comply."

"Four Holy Swords, proceed to your Portmans and standby for deployment," the submarine commander ordered. "Yoshida, sound General Quarters. Have the armory officer load all torpedo tubes."

"Yes, sir," rang many voices in unison, as with crisp salutes, they moved to execute their orders, proceeding to where they were needed without delay.

'_Good…then let us add a Miracle of Tokyo Bay to our other accomplishments…'_

**

* * *

**

**Bridge, Logres-class Aerial Battleship **_**Corbenik**_

On the command deck of the _Corbenik_, the Logres-class aerial battleship that served as the flagship for the Knight of One's personal fleet (as well as this detachment of Britannia's Aerial Armada), Bismarck Waldstein frowned, as a single red Knightmare (instantly recognizable from anyone who had read reports concerning Narita) suddenly appeared on sensors, with the fleet's turrets moving to fire upon it—only for it to dodge out of the way, while the bullets followed, forming into an all too familiar vortex of metal.

"Sir," the Corbenik's communications officer spoke up, stress evident in his voice. "We're being hailed. Its…its Zero!"

On the main viewscreen, the tactical map of the fleet was replaced by the masked image of what seemed the notorious enemy of the Empire, as the red Knightmare jinked and dodged and evaded—proceeding to unleash a devastating barrage of crimson radiation that cut one of the _Corbenik's_ escort cruisers in two.

"Knight of One Bismarck Waldstein, this is Zero," came the calm, but arrogant voice of Servant Rider, her identity concealed under Zero's guise. "Out of common courtesy, I offer you one chance to surrender."

"I'll have to decline," answered the Knight of One, cutting off the transmission, as the red Knightmare's left arm spat green particle fire at yet another _Caerleon-_class ship, targeting the float units. "Our escorts' shields cannot deal with such a fast moving unit, since their Blaze Luminous does not surround them entirely. Deploy VTOLs and Knightmare squadrons…it seems we will have a chance to crush Zero sooner than we expected. Signal the other Rounds to proceed towards Area 11…we can deal with this nuisance alone."

"Yes, my Lord," the bridge officers replied as one, relaying the orders to the other ships in the armada, as launch catapults activated, hurling Knightmare after Knightmare (most of them Vincents) into the air, with the ships launching a barrage of missiles that streamed towards the red Knightmare—

_BOOM!_

"Direct hit! Zero is—" the weapons officer began so say, then stopped, jaw dropping as the Guren flew out of the explosion unscathed—which was more than could be said for some of the pursuing Vincents, which had been reduced to metal scraps as the missiles somehow had hit the wrong targets. "Keep launching Knightmares. Tell the Vincents to use their needle blazers, as Zero has shown the ability to deflect ballistic attacks."

And so the airborne game of tag continued, with the Vincents pursuing and the Guren moving away, its radiant wave surger firing a wide-angle blast that froze the pursuers momentarily—not very long, just long enough for a more constricted beam to annihilate the immobile foes.

"Another contact on the radar!" the radar officer said, noting a much more massive object appear on the tactical map. "Sir, it's the _Avalon_, with Earl Asplund aboard."

This time, the image on screen changed to that of the Governor General, sitting in his command chair, hands steepled as he considered the Knight of One.

"It seems as if you are having some trouble, Lord Waldstein," the Governor General observed, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Do you know the identity of your attacker?"

"Ah, Governor General Asplund," the Knight of One replied, observing the formalities. "Yes, our foe seems to be Zero. Have you come to render assistance in this fight?"

The Earl of Pudding uttered a small '_hmm'_ as he tilted his head.

"Very well then, but a question for you first," Earl Asplund insisted, remembering a certain question that Zero had been fond of asking. "What do you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means? Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy evil, or do you remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?"

"An interesting question, Lord Asplund, as in either case, evil remains," the Knight of One answered, finding this a rather strange question at a time like this. "Though I do not think this the time for philosophy, I would choose justice."

"I see," came the enigmatic reply, as the transmission was suddenly cut off, with the symbol of the Order of Black Knights appearing on the _Corbenik'_s screen.

"What…the…"

_Rumble-BOOM!_

"Contacts, lots of contacts—"

"Sir, the _Avalon _has—"

_Rumble-BOOM! Rumble-BOOM!_

The ship was rocked violently as a shaft of molten power lanced through the sky,

"—Hadron cannon!"

"—targeting our escort vessels!"

Bismarck Waldstein paused only briefly to glance at the tactical situation, noting that his fleet had just been ambushed by a heretofore undetected force of _Caerleon-_class cruisers, as well as the _Avalon_ itself.

"So, the Governor General has joined with Zero," the Knight of One muttered, rising from his seat and heading towards the lift. "Helm, evasive maneuvers! Signal escorts to spread out, concentrating fire on enemy ships. Continue to launch Knightmares!"

"And what about Zero?" another asked.

"I'll deal with Zero myself," Waldstein intoned in a voice that brooked no argument.

'_Perhaps I shall finally have a challenge since Marianne's passing…'_

**

* * *

**

**En Route to Tokyo Bay**

Hearing of the attack on Waldstein's aerial armada, Knight of Four Dorothea Ernst was understandably concerned about a tanker vessel seeming to move towards the waterborne elements of the fleet under her command. As the highest ranking member of the Rounds detachment leading the Pacific Fleet to Area 11 (since the Knights of Three, Six, and Ten had gone to the Chinese Federation with Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia), she had been trusted with commanding the ships that transported the bulk of Britannia's ground forces and equipment.

Granted, the Knight of Four was not on the water herself, instead observing from the modified _Caerleon-_class _Tintagel, _the flagship she had been assigned upon her appointment to the Rounds. Under normal circumstances, she might have chosen to remain oceanside, however, given the situation, Dorothea felt that she could get a better idea of the tactical situation from the air.

'_That tanker is moving very erratically, especially considering that as it is within visual range of the Fleet,'_ she mused, lips twitching into a frown at the thought as she checked its registry and identification against known information. _'It is registered as a tanker heading for the Chinese Federation but—its course conflicts with that registered.'_

'_Given the attack on Waldstein's fleet elements, it is better to be safe than sorry…'_

"Unidentified ship, this is the Pacific Fleet of the Britannian Navy," her stern contralto broadcasted over the waves towards the tanker. "Heave to and prepare for an inspec—"

_BOOM!_

A massive explosion erupted in the middle of the ocean, with night momentarily turning into day as barrels upon barrels of sakuradite detonated in a fiery sphere of destruction that disrupted all sensors, as—

"Missile launch!"

—180 cruise missiles erupted from the water, skimming the waves at supersonic velocities as they hurtled towards the waterborne fleet, concentrating their fire as…

_Crack-a-BOOM-crack-a-BOOM-crack-a-BOOM!_

To their credit, the CIWS systems of the fleet were fully operational, blazing into action as soon as sensors detected the incoming missiles—which because of the explosion was several seconds too late, meaning that a few of the missiles slipped through the deadly hail of bullets and counter missiles that rended their fellow and—

_BOOOOOOOMMMM!_

A vast roar echoed out over the waters, as 36 battleship/carrier hybrids were stuck by several high-yield Sakuradite warheads each, simply _vanishing_ in fiery spheres of destruction, that left the Knight of Four stunned.

'_That had to have been a cruise missile submarine,'_ the Knight thought to herself, knowing that where there was one, there was likely another lying in wait. '_A brilliant move, using the tanker to buy their missiles more effectiveness…and negate the effectiveness of our sonar…'_

"We can't let the enemy submarine escape or warn allies. Destroyers, load ASROCs and fire at the area around the tanker, designating center of explosion as point Theta," Dorothea Ernst commanded, face tight as she observed the destruction caused. "Launch Portman-IIs to establish a siege line against the enemy submarine."

From what battleship/carrier hybrids survived the initial assault, the aquatic Knightmares were disgorged into the sea, their Hydro Jet Packs wasting no time in heading for the suspected direction of the attacker.

From each of the destroyers, dozens of anti-submarine missiles shot out from their launchers, arcing high into the sky and diving in a spread centered on point theta, each dropping torpedoes into the water that sped towards sources of sound…and exploded, one by one, sending shock waves towards the water as they attempted to seek the submarine.

Meanwhile, in the Black Knight Submarine…

_Rumble! Rumble!_

All around, the water shook from the explosion of massive amounts of torpedoes, which thankfully had not found the Black Knights' Submarine, due to the ambient noise disrupting their passive sonar guidance systems.

"We have confirmed destruction of 36 enemy ships," the sonar / communications tech reported, sounding somewhat tense, using the Britannian IFF data. "Further reporting enemy Knightmare launch—aquatic type, by the sounds."

"Keep you calm," the veteran advised, his hands resting on a bokken as he considered the situation. "They're aiming randomly. Helm…increase our depth, emergency dive speed, set downtrim to 50 degrees, heading for the center of clathrate deposit 5."

The waters shook as the submarine tilted downwards, speeding deeper into the water, with explosions going off all around them from depth charges, missiles, etc.

"Do we have firing solutions on the clathrate deposits?" Tohdoh asked, coming to the crux of their plan. "The extractor is in range?"

"Yes, sir," the weapons officer reported. "Estimated 40 second run time required for best effect."

"Then set the fuses and fire all torpedoes," the man ordered, "Engage flank speed towards the seafloor. Order the Portmans we launched earlier to execute plan Kharybdis-2."

"Firing torpedoes, fuse 40 seconds!" the weapons officer echoed, doing as told.

In the distance, the Four Holy Swords in their Portmans, each having located methane hydrate extractors, launched their own torpedoes at the rich deposits, fuses similarly set for best effect, following up by deploying Slash Harkens as anchors to secure the Knightmares to the seafloor.

Meanwhile, on the surface…

"We have confirmed torpedo launch noises," reported a sonar operator. "We have located the enemy ships!"

"Concentrate your attacks, prepare depth charges," ordered Dorothea Ernst. "Portmans, converge towards the points and change firing angle. All naval units, move to counter the enemy…flank speed."

"Roger," the units in question responded, moving to comply with the admirable speed and precision drilled into the Britannian military.

Down on the submarine, attacks were intensifying, and nothing had happened yet, but the countdown was continuing and the ocean floor coming into view.

"Deploy Slash Harkens for anchor," Tohdoh commanded, hearing the confirmations as the anchors were launched, embedding themselves on the seafloor. "All hands, brace for impact!"

_Beep! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

The time ran out, and one by one, the torpedoes exploded in blooms of underwater incandescence, destroying the ground around the methane extractor, the pressure and heat of the explosions sublimating the methane trapped in the deposits in a massive chain reaction, as gouts of the gas erupted from the seafloor and raced towards the surface.

_Rumble!_

A massive shock wave shook the area as more and more of the sea floor broke apart under pressure, as geysers of methane gushed uncontrollably, altering the properties of the water itself so that ships (and Knightmares) could not float.

"What—" one of the Britannian Portman-II pilots exclaimed in shock, as his unit spun out of control, colliding with another unit, both vanishing in a bloom of fiery death.

"The buoyancy!" another screamed in horror, as the torpedoes and depth charges launched by the Britannian ships above exploded all at once, ripping the fragile Knightmares apart in the fierce blast, air tanks rupturing. "Lady Ernst, bubbles—"

The transmission was cut off by a scream, and Dorothea Ernst opened her mouth to order her ships to retreat—but it was far too late for that, for at that instant, the methane eruption reached the surface once stable water churning into bubbly froth—

'_Oh…shit.'_

"Come about...!" she ordered frantically, but it was no use, as the entire naval portion of the Pacific Fleet was caught up in the trap, the density dropping rapidly as one by one, the ships of the proud Britannian Navy sunk beneath the surface, the last words of their sailors recorded as gurgled screams of terror as darkness closed in all around them.

Dorothea Ernst's blood ran cold, as on her tactical screen, every ocean-going ship and Portman-II knightmare was reported lost with all hands—meaning that whoever this enemy was, he or she had wiped out over two hundred thousand lives in mere moments, while eliminating the full strength of the Britannian Navy's Pacific Fleet in one fell swoop.

"Knights of Twelve and Nine, this is the Knight of Four," she reported. "The Pacific Fleet of the Britannian Navy has been lost."

"Estimated casualties?"

"Total naval elements," the Knight of Four reported grimly. "Assume work of Governor General Asplund—capture the Government Bureau now!"

**

* * *

**

**Government Bureau**

Thankfully for the Knights of Nine and Twelve, Nonette Enneagram and Monica Krusewski, the forces available to the Black Knights were still somewhat limited, and so their detachments of the Aerial Armada arrived without much incident at the outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement.

"Knowing how our comrades have been received, I suggest we launch all Knightmares and proceed for the—"

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!_

"Multiple contacts suddenly appeared—they're firing missiles!" reported a frantic weapons officer, as the CIWS cracked into action, spitting tracers of light and fire at the incoming missiles. "The enemy seems to have some kind of stealth system."

"Well, that's that," signaled Nonette, her face grim. "Launch all Knightmares and VTOLs. All ships, evasive action. Knightmare squadrons Fenris and Jormungandr, come with me…we're going to take the Government Bureau. Monica, you will assume command of our combined forces."

Moments later, a swarm of extensively modified Vincents launched from the Knight of Nine's flagship, led by Nonette Enneagram herself in a white eagle-like Knightmare: the Aquila, second Knightmare to be optimized for mid-air combat (the first being the Siegfried), armed with a spear, razor sharp "wings" for arms, hip-mounted auto-cannons, and four slash harkens on each wing.

With all available speed, the formation pressed forward—only to be met in the air by a large number of Sutherland Airs, led by the Lancelot and Lancelot Club, which opposed the Aquila sword to wing.

"Cease this insolence," the Knight of Nine demanded. "In the end, resistance is futile against a Knight of Rounds. Surrender now, and perhaps I will let you live."

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

The response was spat in the form of numerous bolts of green particle death, followed by a slash of the sword that would have decapitated Aquila had the Knight of Nine not evaded, using her auto-cannons and Slash Harkens to keep distance.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," answered Cecile Croomy, as the Director of Camelot pressed her attack, blades whirling as she spun to confront one Knightmare, then another, backed by the firepower of her squadrons of Sutherland Airs. "Governor General's orders, you see."

The other Knightmare, the Lancelot Air Cavalry, shot up into the sky with twin blades, striking at the Vincents behind the Aquila quickly, destroying two before they even knew what hit them.

"I cannot let you pass," added Sayoko Shinozaki, from within the cockpit of the Z-01 Lancelot. "Now, die, for Master Zero's sake!"

_Clang! Clash! Whirr!_

And as the mid-air battle continued, a broadcast was made from the Government Bureau to all over the world, with Sub-Viceroy (and Third Princess of the Empire) Euphemia li Britannia making a rather startling announcement.

"People of Japan, and all who are oppressed by the empire of Britannia, hear me!" the pink-haired princess intoned, knowingly mimicking the way that Avenger had prefaced his own announcements. "As Sub-Viceroy of Area 11, and a princess of the empire, long have I fought against the injustices wrought upon the Numbers, against the cycle of hate Britannia so espouses. Long have I waited for them to come to their senses…and it seemed that with this new administration, there was finally hope, as we cooperated with Zero in ushering in a new world. But that hope was betrayed...by an act of barbarism committed by a country that only knows war and violence, by the deployment of the Knights of Round to crush an innocent civilian population under the Empire's heel once more."

She took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with anger as ever bit of her stance radiated determination.

"Thus, I, Euphemia li Britannia, in accordance with the will of Governor General Asplund and Zero heself, hereby declare our independence from the Holy Britannian Empire," she announced, causing eyes to widen and jaws to drop worldwide. "Not the resurrection of a fallen nation, but a new one, looking towards the future, a Japan proud enough to accept all peoples, histories and ideologies, where the strong shall not reign over the weak—the first country of a new United Federation of Nations!"

So Euphemia announced, stunning people around the world—but most especially her sister Cornelia, who could only look on in horror as her beloved younger sister raised the specter of rebellion against the Empire, blood draining from her face as her body shook, lips soundlessly shaping her sister's name.

And aboard the _Skeith,_ Zero smiled, adding to the broadcast a piggybacked message of her own.

"So be it," the prerecorded forms of Avenger and Zero spoke in unison to an international audience, their voices harmonizing like the voice of a legion. "We of the Black Knights observe this declaration of independence, and approve. People of the world oppressed by Britannia, let us rise up against our oppressors, throw off the chains that bind, destroying this rotten world filled corruption. World, hear me…and answer my call to arms!"

* * *

**A/N:** As promised, the attack begins, with the Black Knights and their allies striking a few powerful blows at the battle's beginning. However, now that the element of surprise is gone, how will they fare against the most skilled soldiers in the Empire? For that matter, how will Zero and Avenger do in the Chinese Federation, where more Rounds and enemies await at every turn. The fate of nations rests on these pivotal battles, the key to overturning everything. Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated!


	31. Camoflagued Specters

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Situation Room, Stealth Battlecruiser **_**Skeith**_

Having turned over command of the _Skeith_ to its nominal captain, Zero, Avenger and Saber, along with Kaguya and Milly, who would also be involved with the dirtside operation, retired to their shared quarters to discuss final preparations for what they were about to do. Given the strong Britannian military presence around the Forbidden City (including the personal army detachments of three Rounds), it would be…unwise, at best, for the _Skeith _to simply come in for a landing, meaning that alternate arrangements had to be made.

"As I understand it, the plan calls for an aerial insertion, using the _Gawain's_ Slash Harken cables to tow my Gekka unit_?" _the swordsman asked, slightly skeptical about the ability of a larger than Knightmare to evade the defense grid of the Chinese Federation's capital.

"Indeed," Avenger affirmed gravely, raising an eyebrow under his mask. "As you may recall, during the Kyushu incident, the Gawain was not detected by the sensors emplaced around Fukuoka Base, which were superior in quality to that used in Luoyang, until the Hadron Cannon was used."

"You have a point there, Avenger," Saber acknowledged, forcing himself not to react to the dark Servant's miasma of shadow that only other Champions could sense. "I wonder though, will you go to the reception in your distinctive mask? That would be rather provocative…"

"To say the least," Milly added, snorting in amusement, a mischievous little smile playing on her lips. "Though I have to say that going without a mask might not be such a great idea either, considering members of the Britannian Royal Family will be there."

"Revealing my bare face at this stage would not be…" the exiled prince began, then cut himself off, turning his mirrored gaze on his blonde companion as he anticipated her suggestion. "And no, I do not find _that_ method of disguise particularly acceptable, at least not for the reception."

"A compromise then?" Milly suggested, the smirk never quite leaving her face. "We do have that black and silver variant of an Imperial dress uniform that in storage, complete with a frock coat embossed with broken geass symbols, ruffled shirt, cravat, and a silver basket-hilt rapier."

"…and this doesn't scream 'Black Knight'?" Lelouch replied drily, his words dripping with sarcasm. "While I appreciate your enthusiasm for dressing me up—"

"I was thinking 'Black Prince', actually," the blonde answered tartly, causing the raven-haired prince to raise an eyebrow. "It will be easier than going in as Avenger and being instantly set upon by every Britannian and Chinese Federation guard present."

"Touché," the dark Servant acknowledged, bowing ever so slightly. "Do I get to wear a mask, at least?"

In response, Milly slid a white mask with crimson circles and branching whorls across the conference table, one with inky blackness where the left eye would be, but no other openings.

"It's the Chinese Federation…it's not unheard of for an official to wear makeup or face paint," she replied, glancing at Kaguya and Li Xingke briefly. "Speaking of which…Lady Kaguya, you are familiar with Kabuki makeup techniques, are you not?"

The young headmistress of the Kyoto House grin was positively Cheshire, as she looked from the mask to Milly, to Avenger, clapping her hands in delight.

'_At last I will see my newlywed husband's face!'_ the girl thought excitedly, wondering who it was that laid behind the mask. She had heard from Kirihara that Avenger was someone well known to him, but… _'Could it be…from eight years ago…the boy from the Kururugi Shrine?'_

'_I've seen a mask like this before…'_ Avenger thought to himself, recalling the sequence of images that had flashed before his eyes at the moment he had entered into a contract with C.C. _'It is a mask from the World of C…appropriate enough, I suppose.'_

"I feel that I've seen this mask somewhere before," Saber noted, his gaze drawn to the pattern, which, though he knew it was impossible, almost seemed to shift before his eyes as if alive. "Is it a well known design?"

In response, Milly only shrugged.

"To be honest, it's not one I'm familiar with," the curvaceous blonde replied, leaning back against the wall. "If you want to know the details about it, ask Zero, since she's the one who gave this to me."

"I will have to do so at some point in the future," answered Li Xingke, his lips pressed into a thin line as he considered the almost—living pattern. Was it like that to all people, or just to those who had special abilities? There were many questions he wanted answers to, but the swordsman had the feeling that he should not press too hard in this matter, given his position. "Since much of what I've discovered via my own research corroborates your information, I suppose I will retire to my quarters until our arrival. I suppose I must say…thank you, for your generosity to a beaten foe."

_Hiss!_

With that, the man got up and left the room, leaving a masked Lelouch vi Britannia alone with two of his "Three Court Ladies."

"So," Kaguya began, getting up from her chair and sidling up to the masked Avenger. "It looks like I'll be able to see your face, my husband. Isn't that right…Lelouch? I _thought_ you might still be alive."

So the young headmistress of Kyoto said, while poking the front of his mask with her fingertip.

A moment of silence, while the utterance of the name sunk in.

Seeing that his identity had apparently been compromised yet again, Avenger simply shook his head, gesturing for Milly to lock the door as he removed his mask, revealing the features of a long dead member of the royal family.

"You look pretty good for someone who's been dead for eight years," Lady Kaguya chirped enthusiastically, this time fully glomping the man and kissing him on the cheek, even as Milly sighed.

"You know, for someone whose identity is supposed to be a secret," Milly commented as she proceeded to do so, rolling her eyes, "you're not very good at keeping it that way. Let's hope you have better luck in the Chinese Federation."

Lelouch tactfully allowed Kaguya a few more moments of public affection before pushing away gently.

"Well, I suppose I should get changed for the reception," he began, making to get up and exit, only to be stopped by a tug on the sleeve of his crimson longcoat, courtesy of the young Kaguya, who was looking at him with a wide eyed expression like she didn't want him to go.

'_What is this, the mystic eyes of the sad puppy or something?'_ Avenger thought silently, wondering if this were indeed the legendary technique that brought men to their knees, then shook his head as he replaced his mask.

"Fine…you two can come with me…" he conceded, somewhat reluctantly. "I'll need help with the make up anyway."

_**

* * *

**_

**Reception Hall, Vermillion Forbidden City in Luoyang, Chinese Federation**

As a prelude to the arranged marriage of state between the Chinese Federation's Empress Tianzi and Crown Prince of Britannia Odysseus eu Britannia, a grand gala was being held in the heart of the Forbidden City, with dignitaries from around the world invited to join in celebrating this marriage as a route towards peace (or in the case of many Britannians, towards world domination).

It was a night of refined revelry, where the rich and powerful could mingle without fear of interruption by the antics of the lesser rabble—a pleasant change from worries about the civil unrest in the much talked about Area 11, where the masked terrorist Zero seemed to be undermining Britannian tradition and authority, necessitating the intervention of the Rounds.

'_And just in case our masked "friend" arrives, we have three of the Rounds present to deal with her,'_ thought a rather pleased Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia, as he glanced out of the corner of his eye towards the raised dias, on which sat the "happy couple" (or rather, a mild-mannered Crown Prince and a terrified little girl who wielded the title of Empress, but none of the attendant powers). _'Granted, these Rounds are somewhat…strange, but…'_

The Prime Minister of Britannia shook his head, mentally shrugging. How the elite warriors acted didn't really matter, since they remained on board their individual ships, watching for hints of anything out of the ordinary—with the Knight of Ten essentially being kept under watch by the Knights of Three and Six, to make sure he didn't instigate a massacre.

'_Under normal circumstances, they would be allowed to attend the gala, but…these are far from normal circumstances.'_

And that was putting it lightly, since Area 11's declaration of independence—and by Euphie of all people—still had most of the elites reeling, so for their sake, Schneizel had the Rounds simply watching for irregularities, patrolling the skies in their Knightmares, since it wasn't as if any threat would simply walk in and—

"Miss Kaguya Sumeragi," a majordomo announced from the door, "the representative of the Sumeragi Conglomerate…"

Upon hearing the name of an Eleven, all eyes were drawn to the newcomers, those being the diminutive head of the Kyoto House, accompanied by a strikingly dressed man in black and silver that carried himself like royalty that some found chillingly familiar, though with his face painted crimson and white, it was impossible to be certain of who he was.

"An Eleven…how dare she…" one of the Britannians whispered, too loudly to be concealed.

"They're all terrorists…" hissed another, "and who is that man who won't show his face? Aren't his clothes in the colors of the Black Knights? Scandalous…"

"Who invited them here, to a place like this…"

But the Black Prince accompanying the young head of the Kyoto House merely swept the crowd with his gaze, allowing his lips to curl into a most royally derisive sneer as he regarded the horde of petty, corrupt nobles as though they were nothing but minor inconveniences, not even worthy of his attentions.

At a discreet signal from the High Eunuchs, red-cloaked guards armed with spears rushed to surround the couple, but froze in place as Avenger focused his gaze upon them, his glowing eye forcing them to relive the nightmares of their youth, exposing them to their fears, their uncertainties, all the pain they had ever inflicted knowingly or knowingly, showing them the true consequences of their deeds—and inflicting absolute retribution, as their lifeless bodies toppled to the floor.

"How rude a way to treat a guest, is it not, High Eunuchs?" the harsh baritone of the dark Servant echoed out into the chamber, as the man's expression became…a smile, if one could call the expression of a shark a smile. "I see that this country has maintained some interesting traditions, such as graft, oppression of the people, betrayal—many traditions save the ones of which many speak: wisdom, temperance, hospitality. Out of mercy, I will give you one warning and one alone: if you value your lives, then leave now."

"W-what is the meaning of this?" one of the High Eunuchs sputtered, thinking that the man had used some sort of weapon. "Guards, deta—"

And then the man fell silent, as like a specter from the past, the much more familiar figure of Li Xingke appeared from the back of the room, flanked by members of his faction as they approached the dais, swords drawn.

'_No…it cannot be. It was reported that all those sent to Kyushu had met their ends,'_ one of the high ranking officials thought, his eyes scanning left, then right as he felt a chill wash over him, as if a wash of despair had frozen him to the spot. _'If Xingke survived and is standing here, in the company of rebels from Area 11, then…'_

"We ask this question by the voice of heaven, the roar of the land, and the hearts of the people," Saber challenged, voice booming in the reception hall. "How does this marriage represent the will of the Chinese Federation? In the name of my countrymen, I challenge the legality of this wedding!"

Sensing Li Xingke's intent to kill, the High Eunuchs panicked.

"Hold him back!" they cried collectively, tasking all the guards in the hall with stopping the swordsman, swarms of red-clad sentries rushing at the man with spears—then guns drawn, only to be cut down by ruthless slashes and thrusts from his terrible swift sword. "Seize him! We can't let anything happen to the Britannians, otherwise it will be disaster!"

More and more red guards, more and more death, as Li Xingke's eyes blazed red with fury, and all he saw were lines and points of light rushing at him, as he cut, cleaved, sliced, his blade awhirl in the dim light of the reception hall, like a battle demon.

In the midst of this confusion, people began flocking out of the reception hall, racing for the exit as they—

_BOOM!_

And then a bulky white and purple Knightmare _(_the Knight of Ten's _Percival) _burst through the ceiling, a powerful particle drill lance of blaze luminous whirring as the frame smashed down among the guests, crushing more than a few nobles.

"Here's a question, rebel scum: What do people value most?" blared a crazed voice from the loudspeaker, as a maniacal laugh was heard, and Slash Harkens shot out towards Li Xingke, who dodged and continued speeding for the Empress."Answer: their lives, of course!"

"Oh, really?" came another voice from above, as a Slash Harken wrapped about the _Percival_ from behind, and the Knightmare Frame was pulled out by the _Shen Hu_.

"That frame…it's Zero!" even more Britannians realized, as mass panic ensued, and the people ran for the exit, with only Avenger and Kaguya continuing to approach the dais, the dark Servant's red eye clearing a path for them as advanced, with guards falling dead as he simply looked at them, and then only the cowering Eunuchs left, with none willing to challenge him.

"That's right…that is Zero," the dark Servant intoned, his lips wearing a dissonantly twisted smile. "And I…am Avenger! High Eunuchs, you cursed shadows lost to darkness, your hurtful actions towards mankind have tainted your existence beyond all hope of salvation. Your greed for power and your utter disregard for human life are a blight upon this world, a cancer that must be excised! So I command you…"

He paused dramatically, bringing his arm across his body in the way an overenthusiastic conductor might begin a symphony, before slashing violently outwards.

"…die!"

The High Eunuchs stepped back, whimpering, shaking, mouthing "no, no, no" as all that they had done towards others rebounded upon them at last, feeling the pain of starvation, thirst, loneliness, fear, illness, disease…

'_Selfish. Selfish. Selfish, you are selfish, committing crimes of grudge, crimes of self-interest, unconscious crime, self-conscious crime, inducement of self-destruction, theft of glory, the burning of another's dreams, violation, mass violence, death at work, blame blame blame for overconfidence, fight the power fight and DIE.'_

In their minds, a demon laughed riotously, devils dancing, demanding the blood and payment they were due.

'_Scorn from judgment, scorn from mortal greed, mortal envy, concealment of truth, manipulation of others, violation violation VIOLATION, for fraud for deception for "the greater good", pain pain searing pain, self-loathing self-disgust, chorus of compulsion, desire to scream out but voice is silent, sublimation failed, as you are guilty guilty guilty. DIE.'_

A howl, a chorus of dark powers chortling in malicious mirth, doubling and redoubling in their minds as the pain of millions—or was it billions—registered all at once.

'_Dirty, you are dirty, you must be cleaned, ATONE ATONE ATONE, for every pain for every deed, for every crime every victim of the world, avatar of human greed. Malignance, treachery, deceit, fading fading fading, leeching warmth from others to satisfy a lust for self-destruction, shadenfreude hurting others, murdering one day at a time…it is all your fault ALL YOUR FAULT. DIE.'_

To their knees the High Eunuchs fell, faces contorting into masks of primal horror, as voices described the torments that awaited them in times to come, letting them experience the torments of lifetimes compacted into seconds.

'_Crush the will, crush the bones, crush the bones, crush the head and watch it pop like grapes squeezed between fingers, gouging eyes lashes with cat-o-nine tails, crack sizzle pop of human flesh roasted o'er inferno, charred to perfection, madness beckons, cool requiem of insanity, lose control, lose reason, lose hope, give in GIVE IN GIVE IN. DIE.'_

Any resistance left in them faded, as slowly but surely, the bodies of the High Eunuchs tore themselves apart, twisting as their bones broke _crack-crack-crack,_ writhing on the floor in pain.

'_Tread upon memory, tread upon delirium, tread upon the others and climb towards the top. Ascend, descend, silly-go-round of life and death indulgence, sluggish heart, immoral cascade reaction, ribs confining throat constricting CRACK POP agony erupt from within, choking choking out of breath, light, terrible light, built on the bones of friends, discarding hope, discarding joy, RAW RAW, futility, mortal breath futility. Scream no one will hear, scream like an animal, scream in terror, scream in pain. SCREAM ATONER SCREAM the cry of GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY. DIE.'_

And so at last, they did, eyes glazed over, mind lost, lips shaping silently only the words "...Guilty…Guilty…Guilty…" as they passed away.

"You…just what are…?" asked Odysseus eu Britannia, looking at the apparition before him, the being who had just pronounced judgment on the rulers of a country, causing them to die seemingly just by looking at them.

"I am a creature far older than you could imagine, old before humanity was born," the demon spoke, his purple eyes fixed upon the Crown Prince of Britannia. "I am vengeance incarnate, implacable agent of retribution who exacts justice for those who go without. I…am Avenger, and I believe I _already asked you to leave."_

His mind and bodily instincts making the case that discretion in this case was preferable to pointless valor, Odysseus eu Britannia took the opportunity to leave with as much nobility as he could manage.

This task completed, Avenger signaled the _Gawain_, which moments later descended from the sky through the same hole in the ceiling the _Percival_ had torn earlier, with the cockpit opening to reveal the form of Milly.

"Li Xingke!" the dark Servant rumbled, as the _Gawain _picked up Kaguya and himself, with the little raven-haired girl sitting on his lap as he entered the cockpit. "Your country is once again yours, and the High Eunuchs are dead…I have kept my end of the pact, now keep yours…"

With that said, the cockpit closed and the _Gawain _floated up into the sky to join the vicious battle taking place there, leaving the Empress Tianzi weeping for joy in Li Xingke's arms.

'_Let's hope the happy couple doesn't take too long with their reunion…'_

* * *

**Mid-Air Duel**

To a naïve spectator observing from the ground below, the sky was filled with light and sound, as four shapes darted hither and fro, rushing at, past, away from one another _once-twice-thrice_ again and again, flashes of green, red, trails of white and purple marking weapons discharges and the flaring of shields, the four figures dancing on the edge of destruction.

_WHOOSH!_

Light and heat rippled outward from a massive dislocation in space, as the _Mordred_ fired its Stark Hadron Cannon, the red and black ray of destruction lancing out towards the _Shen Hu_…which used its superior mobility to dodge around it and charge for the _Mordred, _Slash Harkens darting out—and blasted aside by the Percival's rapid firing Hadron Blaster.

'_Three powerful opponents in advanced Knightmare frames…this time I'm the one outnumbered…'_ C.C. thought to herself, as she wrung every ounce of performance possible from the _Shen Hu _just to avoid her enemies, unable to concentrate on just one due to the annoyance tactics of the Rounds. _'Damn, if I can just down at least one of the—what?ǃ'_

While three Knights of the Round had distracted the immortal, preventing her from being able to focus on the tactical situation at large, four flight-enabled Vincent frames had ambushed her Knightmare, with the Slash Harkens from two of them securing her legs—and the others her arms.

'_No…I can't let my mobility be compromised!'_

"Zero!" boomed the insane voice of the Vampire of Britannia, as the _Percival_ swung around, its drill posed to slam through the cockpit of the Shen Hu. "Do you know the prime truth of the battlefield? Kill a man off the field, and you're a criminal, but kill him on it, and you're a big hero!"

'_I don't have time for this…'_

_Whirr—BOOM! Whirr—BOOM!_

Unfortunately, the Grausam Valkyrie Squad under the Knight of Ten's command had forgotten one very important fact: If one is holding the enemy so that the enemy cannot get away—then one also cannot get away from the enemy—a fact C.C. took full advantage of, as two electrified Slash Harkens shot out from the purple frame, destroying the two units foolish enough to restrain the _Shen_ _Hu_'s arms, the immortal taking the _Shen Hu_ into a dive and firing her Baryon Cannon, vaporizing the two other Vincent frames and destroying the _Percival's _missile shield as the other frame pulled up and away from the blast.

"So, the Vampire of Britannia wishes to be a hero, is that it?" Zero asked, jinking and juking and dodging as the _Tristan_ shot its energy blasts at her, and the _Mordred _tried to move into position for a clear shot.

'_I can't just keep trying to avoid them, or they'll end up getting rid of me, even if only in a war of attrition,'_ the immortal thought furiously, choosing a target to destroy. _'So, I think I will kill…a monster!'_

"No, not at all," came the voice of the homicide genius, laughing maniacally as he raced for the Shen Hu, particle drill at full intensity. "War allows me to officially take what people value most: Their lives! More, I need more, these sacrifices just aren't enough!"

"Have at you then," Zero replied, applying full power to the float system as she leveled her Maser Vibration Shortsword, both frames rushing for one another at full speed.

"And with this!" the Knight of Ten bellowed.

_Clash! Cr—screech—whirr—crunch!_

Particle drill and maser vibration shortsword crashed together in midair, warring for dominance—but the sword came out victorious, as the drill was blocked and batted away.

"I don't think so," the immortal returned, readying her Slash Harkens for a final blow.

"Doesn't matter, I'm too close for your shields to save you!" the man cried out, a Slash Harken shooting out of the forehead of the machine, only to be caught by the Shen Hu's free hand.

_Whirr! Crunch! Swooosh!_

With all the power she could manage, C.C. yanked the _Percival_ forward, as the _Tristan_ shot at her unit—and was forced to pull away to avoid hurting an ally.

"You picked the wrong question to ask an immortal," Zero called out, pulling the trigger of her Baryon Cannon, as molten power surged forth from the cannon's muzzle, light and heat rippling outward—

"NUAA—"

_BOOM!_

—and utterly vaporizing the_ Percival_.

'_One down, two to go,'_ C.C. thought, as she sped away from her position, knowing that to stay still for any length of time in this battle was folly. _'The most heavily armed and defended Frame in the Empire, and one of the fastest. Joy.'_

Next would be—

_War. Death. The cycle of rebirth. The surface of the moon. Murder. Blood. Victims. Bombing raid. Shadows chained to pillars. Servants. Experimentation. Screaming. Screaming. Screaming. __Ruled by the inhuman, no conscience, grudge, fraud, kindness a lie, hope a lie, all things a lie, malignance shines bright, a great evil, the only truth. Masks must be broken._

Shock images invaded the immortal's vision, as unwillingly, the crimson sigil on the Grey Witch's head began to flare uncontrollably.

'_What…why am I? Why now?'_ she thought, her Knightmare Frame spinning out of control as the _Tristan_ shot at her, maser vibration polearm drawn. '_This battle…it was a trap by V.V.! These Knights, they're…'_

_Swish! Swoop!_

"No one can defeat a Knight of the Round," challenged a boisterous jolly voice from the transformable Knightmare Frame, as the _Tristan_ slashed and whirled, trying to find a weakness in Zero's defense. "No one!"

'_I'm not done yet…'_

_Whirr! Whirr!_

Out darted the _Shen Hu's_ Slash Harkens, wrapping around one of the _Tristan's _legs, sending out a jolt of electricity as—

_Whoomp!_

—the appendage was ejected, with the Knight of Three taking advantage of this momentum gained in the opening to lunge, MVS polearm streaking forward—and damaging the _Shen Hu's _float unit, as the other frame staggered, its short sword carving off one of the _Tristan's _arms.

_Fsh!_

A Slash Harken lanced out from the _Tristan_'s remaining arm, smashing the other wing of the float unit, even as Zero put the last of her frame's energy into the Baryon Cannon, pulling the trigger as heat and light rippled out from the dislocation in space and slagged the Knight of Three's Knightmare.

'_I'm out of power…and the Knight of Six is…'_

Over the speakers, the death screams of the Knight of Three and Ten echoed over and over and over again, as the _Mordred_ too paused in the sky and a crimson sigil blazed in the air, forcibly dragging C.C. away from the physical world as everything went white.

* * *

**Knightmare Frame**_** Gawain**_

From within the _Gawain_, Avenger pushed his unit towards the site of the aerial battle, hoping that he was not too late. Zero might well be an immortal and a damn good devicer, but—

"Auugh!" the man of fire and shade groaned, as screams flooded through his head, images of wartorn lands, of death, suffering, hidden truths, shattered personas ripped through his soul, unwanted knowledge forcing its way into his mind as two massive explosions registered not too far ahead, and a crimson disc of light pulsed outwards, enveloping the city, almost forcing him to lose his grip on reality, almost like…

'_Like a Code-bearer's power? But why…'_

"Zero's float unit has been destroyed!" Milly reported, frantically reading the data from the tactical display. "The _Mordred _also remains stationary, immobile."

From that frame came powerfully dissonant echoes rippling through phantasmagoria, the source of the malignant shadow pulsing in the sky. But the Knight of Six wasn't…

"Capture that unit, and retrieve the _Shen Hu_," Avenger found himself ordering, breath coming faster as he fought to resist the pull. "Zero's been caught in a trap laid by our enemy, and we can't risk just destroying the frame without knowing what it will do."

_Bzzt!_

"Avenger, this is the _Skeith,_" a voice came over the radio. "In the confusion, Crown Prince Odysseus eu Britannia and Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia have boarded the Britannian flagship _L'Éclaire, _which is now taking off. Your orders, sir?"

"Destroy that ship utterly using the Baryon Cannon," Avenger intoned, suddenly not in the mood to be very merciful. "This is our chance to strike a blow against Britannia once and for all…"

"Understood, sir," came the radio confirmation, as a massive roar marked the firing of the shipboard particle cannon, followed by a _BOOM_ as the Britannian flagship was obliterated with all hands.

"Miss Ashford, after you have finished retrieval and capture operations, return to the _Skeith_ and engage stealth systems, evasion pattern five," Avenger ordered finally, allowing himself to sink deeper into the call of the shadow. "I'm going into phantasmagoria to help Zero. After all, I am her sword…"

* * *

**Phantasm World of V.V. – "Abhorrent Illusion"**

When C.C. came to, she was trapped in a Phantasm World that she knew all too well, the world of the Caster that had won the last Eden Vital War, the world of her enemy. It was like the interior of a great machine, an expanse filled with interlocking gears and cogs and sprockets, with white and crimson masks floating throughout the space, as if to observe all that took place there.

There were black gears at all levels, forming steps of sorts, walls, barriers, grinding, crushing, smashing as far as the eye could see, with no completely stable surfaces on which to stand, on which to keep an even footing.

Harsh white light steamed down from above, coming through the narrow gaps in the walls of metal mechanisms for a harsh contrast with the shadows, in which three figures stood, confronting the immortal, who was currently clad in a flowing dress of white, with blue underskirt, free of the guise of Zero as she stared out at her captors.

There was a twisted version of Luciano Bradley, dressed in a flowing grey cloak covered in masks, his form streaked with inky corruption as the man howled with laughter, tossing a set of knives in his hand as he stared hungrily at the Reaper in White. There was a zombie-like doppelganger of Gino Weinberg, in a bloodstained variant of his Rounds uniform, holding a seven-headed crimson spear in his hands, each head tipped with seven barbs.

And leading them was…

"You bastard," C.C. snarled at the sight of her old friend's form, the form of Marianne vi Britannia. "Don't you dare wear her form here, after striking her down yourself."

"Heh," the figure retorted, eyes narrowing as the form changed to that of V.V. "So, you knew it was me then?"

"Who else would do such a thing…creating these…abominations with shards of the power of Eden Vital," spat the Reaper in White, her hands itching to tear her opponent limb from limb. "Who else would dare to raise a hand against another immortal, breaking one of the oldest of all taboos?"

V.V. only grinned maliciously.

"Your time is over, Counter-Guardian," the eternally young boy chuckled venomously. "There's no way you can escape here, since I've sealed your Code. I have only you to thank for being able to do that, since its because of you I was able to salvage Marriane's consciousness and break it utterly."

C.C. took a step backward, compensating for the motion of the gear she stood on, looking about the room for any further enemies—only to see not an enemy but Anya Alstreim bound hand and foot, soulless eyes gazing out at nothing as she was crucified on a great rotating gear at the center of the expanse, unreachable by foot.

'_Wasn't that girl at Aries when…of course.' _At the sight of the Knight of Six, everything clicked. _'Marianne must have transferred her consciousness to this girl, but V.V. found out, and broke her mind for the fragment of power I left in my last contractor. That's how he can seal me, using his power—and part of my own.'_

"Is _that_ why you killed Marianne?" the Grey Witch asked incredulously. "Just so you could steal her Geass' power and use it against me in this war?"

But V.V. only chuckled.

"Of course not," he replied, smirking as he regarded his outnumbered foe. "It was because she got in my way, threatening the contract I made with Charles. Oh, it was sly of you to do such a thing, to involve yourself indirectly, as you always have, cunning witch. But then, since the beginning of time it's always been the woman who led the man astray, hasn't it?"

_Fsh!_

A brief flash of light, and a great silver scythe almost larger than the Reaper's body appeared in her hands, its wickedly curved blade gleaming with inner frozen light and humming as it sliced the air simply by being present.

"Oh, and what would you know of time, brat?" intoned the Unyielding Shadow, every inch of her stance radiating defiance and determination.

"Enough to know that the future is futile," answered the eternally young boy, conjuring up a number of flaming shadowy giants to stand behind him, each one a demonic crystallization of anger, despair, hatred, despair, human darkness, and the death of dreams, each one with the power of a Noble Phantasm. "Even if I cannot fully open the gate, the power of the false gate…combined with my code and your code fraction will be enough. This time, you will finally meet your end, Counter Guardian."

Hearing this boast, C.C. only smiled, her expression changing from the anger of before to something much more disturbing, a dissonantly serene technical smile that one might see on a sociopath before a murderous rampage.

"So at long last we come to it," answered the Reaper in White, holding her scythe ready as it blazed with liquid light. "I who am the guardian of the planet, am the target that foolish you wish to eliminate. Interesting, how you've simply come to grant death to that which has no death…and though you have only so recently become immortal, I must laugh at your all too human sentiment. In that way, I suppose I am the same, for looking at the forces arrayed against me, an awful smile comes over me. I'll challenge…come at me with all your might, show me if you stop this smile with your death. For as long as something exists, I can destroy it…even death itself."

* * *

A/N: And so our operation in the Chinese Federation leads to an ambush by V.V., trapping Zero within Phantasmagoria. What will happen next? And how will things play out in Area 11, where the Knight of One will soon engage Rider in combat? Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated. ^^

* * *

**Information on Wraith « Alstreim»**

Personal Information:

True Name: Anya Alstreim  
_Wraith – False Gate to Eden Vital  
_Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Strength: D

Endurance: B

Agility: C

Luck: D

Mana (Phantasm World): EX

Noble Phantasm: A++

Details:

"This is wrong?" - Anya Alstreim

A quiet and introverted person with a mysterious past, Anya Alstreim was in fact a witness to Marianne's death at the hands of V.V., and the first of the subjects the Code-Bearer experimented on in his attempt to create a false "Gate" to Eden Vital, resulting in an incomplete Wraith with access to some of the powers behind the Twilight Door. In an attempt to combine the two extant Codes within single being (which V.V. could then use to control Eden Vital itself), the young Alstreim was altered as part of the Code-R project, where she was injected with the salvaged cells from both Marianne and V.V., with the division between herself and Marriane vi Britannia's soul remnant destroyed by V.V.'s power, fusing the two into a new entity.

Part of the side effects of this experimentation was extreme damage to her sense of self, with her spiritual proximity damaging her identity (and subsequently memory). While this meant that the young girl acquired the skills of "Marianne the Flash", leading to Anya's distinction of being the youngest individual ever appointed to the Knights of the Round at the age of 15, it also means that she can't trust her own memories (or her common sense), which accounts for much of her detachment from the world.

Currently (though she has no knowledge of this), she is a soul jar of sorts through which V.V. can manifest his power, with the Britannian Emblem tattooed to her left arm being the physical representation of specialized Phantasm World designed to activate on contact with C.C., a world fueled by an unlimited supply of mana from Eden Vital itself. On a whim, V.V. can posess her, forcing Anya's actions below her threshold of awareness, during which time, her reasoning and emotions are severely impaired and she is indiscriminately destructive to everything around her.

Within phantasmagoria, her touch is highly corrosive, dissolving organic matter and converting the base elements into pure Mana. When an astral being, such as a Servant, comes into contract with Anya's shadows, that Servant's mentality is corrupted by her evil influence, while their offensive power is considerably augmented. She is also capable of forming tentacle appendages from her body, as well as birthing shadow monstrosities that follow her general intent but otherwise operate independently. Finally, Anya's Wraith form can spontaneously regenerate, allowing her to recover from mortal wounds within minutes of receiving them.

Skills:

**Riding**: A  
Ability to ride / pilot things or creatures. Anya can use most vehicles, up to and including those which require nearly superhuman skills.

**Battle Continuation**: EX  
Capacity to remain fighting even when severely wounded. At this rank, Anya will remain alive as long as her body is not completely destroyed.

**Librarian of Stored Knowledge**: B  
Memory processing distributed among many different personalities. At this rank, is possible for a clear recall of knowledge from the collective memory, even if the information perceived in the past was not consciously acknowledged at the time.

**Clairvoyance**: B  
Allows clear vision of distant targets, and improves body movement and reaction time. This rank (in Phantasm World) allows Anya to see through objects

**Instinct**: A  
The power to "feel" the most favorable developments for oneself during this rank, her refined sixth sense is now close to true precognition. Bonus effect of reducing by half the penalties caused by obstructed vision and hearing.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

**"Geass" of Absolute Empathy**: Due to her existence as a false Gate, Anya has the ability to sense people's emotions and presence in the form of "waves", granting her limited psycho-empathy and detection capabilities—notably, allowing her to identify inhuman beings through the color of their waves (as normal humans are colorless).

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Gate of Illusory Memories**: A  
As the false Gate, Anya possesses the ability to pull images and memories from the collective unconscious and materialize them as objects within her Phantasm World.

**Illusionary Web**: A++  
A reflection of Anya's infinite loss without gain, this ability transforms the area around her into a crystalline substance, beautiful in form, but horrendously alien and disturbing to the mind, rapidly decreasing the mana of the area and sealing most Noble Phantasms from being used within it. Any Servant caught in this radius suffers a one rank reduction to all parameters.

* * *

**Information on Wraith « Bradley »**

Personal Information:

True Name: Luciano Bradley  
Class: "Assassin"  
_Wraith – False Servant_  
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Strength: B

Endurance: C

Agility: A

Luck: C

Mana (Phantasm World): C

Noble Phantasm: B+

Details:

"War allows me to officially take what people value most: Their lives!" - Luciano Bradley

Known as the Vampire of Britannia, the Knight of Ten is fond of provoking others and attacking without provocation, showing little care for the lives he ends, be they friend or foe, as long as he can cause destruction. Indeed, his entire reason for fighting is that it allows him to freely kill people in public, making good on his claim of being a "homicide genius." In the physical world, he carries a number of large knives which he is adept at throwing.

Upon his appointment to the Knights of Round, he was approached by V.V. and Charles zi Britannia, who as part of their plan to win the next Eden Vital War, altered Bradley into a Servant-like Wraith by implanting some of V.V.'s cells into his brain, breaking his mind and instilling within him the need to destroy, implanting him with a shard of the corruption housed deep within the Twilight Door, with his eventual purpose being to destroy any Servants he encounters (save for Charles zi Britannia).

As a wraith not chosen by Eden Vital (and without contract to a Code-bearer), Luciano Bradley has no Geass, though he is still able to sense Servants and to engage them in battle in phantasmagoria on an instinctive level. Still, even without a Geass, his bloodthirsty attitude and his skill in hand-to-hand combat make him a foe to be feared-even in a phantasm world, where even his blood can be used as a weapon.

Skills:

"**Immortality**": B  
Rather than simply regenerating wounds, forces the body to adapt around fatal injuries, allowing Assassin to survive even without vital organs. This ability also grants Assassin limited regenerative ability, evidenced by his ability to reattach, but not replace, lost limbs.

**Soul link**: B  
The ability to combine one's lifeforce with those he has injured or someone who is willing, essentially creating one reservoir of life energy. With this, Assassin can gather strength quickly, and combined with his ability of "Immortality" becomes even harder to kill

**Self-Modification**: C  
The aptitude to merge his own flesh with body parts of others, the higher the ranking in this skill the further away one is from being a proper hero.

**Projectile (Daggers)**: B  
Expertise for throwing projectile weapons (in this case, daggers). Thrown projectile weapons are now comparable to bullets.

**Monstrous Strength**: B  
An ability possessed by monsters and beasts, allows a temporary boost of the Strength parameter by one rank for a time limit determined by the ranking of this skill.

**Military Tactics**: C  
Tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

None. As a Fake Servant created by V.V., not under contract with a Code-Bearer or an Independent Champion, Bradley does not possess a Geass.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Dark** (Anti-unit): D  
Assassin's weapon of choice – a jet-black dagger made to be thrown, though it can also be used in hand to hand combat. Assassin possesses a near limitless stock of these.

**Crimson Menace** (anti-unit): B  
The ability to use his blood as a weapon, this is one of Assassin's most deadly abilities; not only is his blood extremely corrosive, able to eat away at metal or flesh on contact, but Assassin can also "crystallize" or solidify any spilled blood into a weapon.

**Zabaniya, **"Delusional Illusion" (Anti-unit): B+  
Assassin is a single individual, but he is able to split his soul into multiple personalities, divide his spiritual potential, and materialize the equivalent of multiple Servants. He can split into at most 8 people.

* * *

**Information on Wraith « Weinberg»**

Personal Information:

True Name: Gino Weinberg  
Class: "Lancer"  
_Wraith – False Servant_  
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Strength: B (A)

Endurance: C (A)

Agility: A

Luck: C (B)

Mana (Phantasm World): C (B)

Noble Phantasm: B+

Details:

"No one can defeat a Knight of the Round. No one!" - Gino Weinberg

Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three, is a broken man trying to heal himself through war, addicted to the thrill of combat in attempt to drown his sorrows. As a young teenager, he fell in love with an Eleven maid, uncaring of societal or racial differences—only for his family to violently object, killing the girl when they found out—killing Gino's inherent faith in humanity in the process. This led him to run away from home, abandoning name, station, and true attachments to others, except for the relationships at the point of the sword, where there was the cold certainty of kill or be killed, without ambiguity.

Upon his appointment to the Knights of Round, he was approached by V.V. and Charles zi Britannia, who as part of their plan to win the next Eden Vital War, altered Weinberg into a Servant-like Wraith by implanting some of V.V.'s cells into his brain, breaking his mind still further by implanting within him a shard of the corruption housed deep within the Twilight Door, with his eventual purpose being to destroy any Servants he encounters (save for Charles zi Britannia).

As a wraith not chosen by Eden Vital (and without contract to a Code-bearer), Gino Weinberg has no Geass, though he is still able to sense Servants and to engage them in battle in phantasmagoria on an instinctive level. Still, even without a Geass, his sheer skill and competence make him a capable foe, especially if he enters his "ríastrad" (warp spasm) state, during which all parameters are increased by one rank, except endurance, which increased by two.

Skills:

**Riding**: A  
Ability to ride / pilot things or creatures. Weinberg can ride most vehicles (including Knightmare Frames) with superb skill, including frames requiring nearly superhuman devicers.

**Battle Continuation**: B  
Does not give up easily / the ability to stay alive. It allows for battle even on the verge of death, and allows the user to stay alive until they receive a clearly fatal blow.

**Bravery**: A+  
Capacity to resist mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. At this rank, Bravery grants a bonus effect of increasing melee damage

**Military Tactics**: C+  
Tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized.

**Ríastrad**: B  
Similar in nature to a berserker's frenzy, this ability gives a boost to all parameters when activated, allowing him to fight without care for pain or injury unless fatally wounded. In this state, every hair on his body stands out straight, with beads of blood on the tips, and his skin seems to move about of its own accord.

Geass:  
(sealed when fighting in a Phantasm World)

None. As a Fake Servant created by V.V., not under contract with a Code-Bearer or an Independent Champion, Weinberg does not possess a Geass.

Noble Phantasms:  
(sealed unless fighting in a Phantasm World)

**Areadbhar** (Anti-unit): B+  
A cursed crimson spear with seven heads (each tipped with seven barbs) that inflicts unhealable wounds. When thrown, it pierces the enemy's armor and "courses through the highways and byways of his body so that every single joint filled with barbs, leading to an invariably fatal result, though the spear is lost in the process.


	32. Corrupted Epitaph

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Logres-class Aerial Battleship **_**Corbenik**_

As the decks of the _Corbenik_ and her escorts shook and shuddered under the relentless onslaught of the Japanese Aerial Armada, Knight of One Bismarck Waldstein found himself…excited by the prospect of facing Zero in single combat. Since the death of Marianne the Flash, the one who had been indisputably the best devicer in the world at the time, able to do things with Knightmares that even their designers had never dreamed possible, the so-called "greatest knight of the Empire" had found that no one else even posed a challenge to his skills.

'_Until now that is,'_ the Knight of One thought to himself, one of his shaggy grey eyebrows arching slightly as he considered the menace that Zero had shown herself to be. _'This time, my opponent is an excellent devicer and strategist who can outmaneuver my elite pilots…with a powerful red Knightmare that may even be a match for the _Galahad_.'_

Indeed, as the first seventh-generation Knightmare Frame to be designed and constructed by the "Japanese"—and as a frame closely associated with Zero, the Guren had become something of a symbol to the resistance...

'…_meaning that if I can destroy it, morale among the rebels will likely drop,'_ the grey-haired warrior surmised, his inner self reveling in the fact that he would finally be unable to unleash his full strength, without any restraint needed. Under normal circumstances, the Knight of One held back his abilities, as he believed that simply overwhelming an unworthy opponent with brute force was tasteless—however, against a worthy foe… _'While I doubt Zero can stand up to the might of my holy sword, one never knows…'_

_Rumble-BOOM!_

This time, the shaking was more violent, as the _Corbenik's _shields took a direct hit from the _Avalon_'s powerful Hadron Cannon – technology that was still very rare in the Empire, with only a few Knightmare frames (and one ship—the one attacking them) having been fitted with it, while the others were forced to make do with missiles, Slash Harkens, and turrets.

'_This detachment of the Britannian Aerial Armada outnumbers the rebel flotilla 10 to 1, but…'_

_Rumble-BOOM!_

'…_these rebels are better armed and shielded, with their ships equipped with stealth systems that make targeting them…difficult. Damn the head of Camelot for joining with Zero—this can no longer be considered a minor incident.'_

"Sir, the Blaze Luminous generators are down to 30% operational capacity," one of the techs reported, as Lord Waldstein finally made it to the hanger bay of his large vessel, wasting no further time as he boarded his personal Knightmare, the advanced purple and black painted frame known as _Galahad._

Named for the most perfect knight of Arthurian lore (and the only one who succeeded in gaining the Holy Grail), the _Galahad_ was an immense Knightmare modeled after the _Gawain, _with hands featuring miniature Slash Harkens, an Integrated Flat System, and inbuilt Landspinners—but there the similarities ended, for unlike the _Gawain, _the _Galahad_ was _designed_ for close combat, as it was equipped with energy shielding and an oversized Maser Vibration Sword (larger than the frame itself) called Excalibur. True to its name, this Excalibur was strong enough to break through heavy armor in a single swing, and was further capable of generating an energy field that could block and slice through powerful energy blasts.

'_Not that I've needed that ability until now…'_ the Knight of One reflected, as he ran a quick check on his frame's systems. Granted, Bismarck did have a special equipment squad serving as technical support for him, but when one was going into combat (with one's life dependant on equipment working properly), it never hurt to double check. _'Ok, all systems go.'_

"Excellent," one of the nearby techs commented. "Once you sortie, Lord Waldstein, it will be all over. No one can match your skill on the battlefield."

"I wonder…" Bismarck replied. "My opponent is Zero after all, the so-called miraclemaker."

With that, the _Galahad_'s systems revved up to full power, as the Knight of One's frame launched, a streak of white and purple blending into the night, seeking to extinguish the crimson flame of Zero.

* * *

**Battle over Tokyo Settlement**

Meanwhile, in the skies above the Tokyo Settlement, a vicious war of attrition was being fought, with squadrons of Sutherland Airs clashing with Vincents, while the Lancelot and Lancelot Club dueled the _Aquila_, and aerial cruisers spat missiles, bullets, and rockets at one another, green flashes alternating with blooms of madder red as ships dueled and winked out of existence in a wondrous display of deadly fireworks.

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack! _

Its autocannons blazing to keep the pursuing Lancelot Club at bay, the raptor-like _Aquila_ danced though the sky, nimbly moving to avoid the green particle blasts the Club's VARIS rifles continued to shoot at rapid fire speed.

_Whir—fsh! Crunch! Whirr!_

And then the distance closed to naught, as the two units attacked, with maser vibration sword pitted against maser vibration wingblades, with Slash Harkens darting at one another, lashing together, slamming into green Blaze Luminous barriers as—

_Blam! Blam! Blam!_

—a flurry of black and red bolts streaked through the sky and jolted the Director of Camelot's Knightmare from its grapple, blazing for the float unit—only for Sayoko's Lancelot to block the bolts using its arm-mounted Blaze Luminous shields as the _Aquila _shot away from the creations of Asplund towards the mass of Sutherland Airs.

"Thanks Sayoko," Cecile acknowledged, grateful for the assistance, even as she holstered her VARIS rifles, replacing them with maser vibration swords. "I need your help with this new unit…a _Percival _of some sort. P5, are you there? Can your squad hold off the _Aquila?_"

'_Given the speeds and angles at which we are fighting, there's no point in attempting a long distance shot—hand to hand combat will be more effective—if I can close.'_

"Hold it off? I'll take it down! Though I still don't like being called P5," groused a certain Internal Cleaning Supporter of the Order of Black Knights, as he led his detachment of Sutherland Airs towards the swooping _Aquila._ "Alright, you heard the lady, lets take out this Knight of…whatever number she is. Who the hell do they think we are? All units…ready your Chaos Mines and charge!"

"A…what?ǃ" came a concerned voice over the radio, but Shinichirō Tamaki was already moving, lost in the moment, Chaos Mine canisters in his Sutherland's hand as his Knightmare rushed forward with all possible speed, straining his float unit to the max as he led a squadron in pursuit of the _Aquila_. True, he was a rash and impulsive man who had only ever wanted to be a bureaucrat, a hothead who in another universe would probably have inspired the Leeroy Jenkins archetype of screaming warrior, but—

"Come on, you in the chicken Knightmare, the Knight of Nine!" roared the man over an open channel. "Face me. Face Shinichirō Tamaki in battle, or else you can shove your title straight up your pompous bloated ass, you damn Britannian coward!"

—one couldn't fault his bravery, at least.

Within the cockpit of the _Aquila, _Nonette Enneagram twitched at the challenge that one of the rebels had called out. From his appearance on her screen, and the movements his Knightmare Frame had made, customized Sutherland that it was, her challenger was an Eleven with mediocre piloting skills at best, so she had to wonder…

'_Does this Eleven have a death wish or something?' _the Knight of Nine thought to herself, even as she spun her drill-lance and lowered it at her self-proclaimed foe, lunging for it with all the speed the _Aquila's _integrated float system could grant. _'If so, far be it from me to refuse!'_

_Crash! Crunch! Whirr! _

Other Sutherlands moved in to attack her, but she swatted them aside like flies with her more nimble frame, her Slash Harkens tearing off their float systems as she hosed down the suddenly falling units with her autocannons, leaving behind the one unit that had shouted out a challenge as it charged right for her, Slash Harkens going for the wing and torso—

_Slice!_

As one was sliced by the maser vibration wingblade, and—

_Smash! Squelch!_

As expected, the lance impacted the center of the Sutherland, piercing through armor and mechanisms, although slightly off center due to a last minute attempt at evasion—as the Sutherland ejected its legs and used the momentum to lunge forward, sliding along the length of the spear and reeling itself in—almost seeming to hug the _Aquila._

The viewscreen with the image of the defiant Eleven had been replaced by static, a sure indication that the enemy's systems had been severely damaged. And yet…why hadn't he ejected? For that matter…

'_What the hell…?'_ Nonette thought, a little confused about. _'It's as if he wanted to…'_

"Finishing move…" croaked Shinichirō Tamaki from within his cockpit, thumb over a certain set of buttons, as compartments in the lower torso of his Sutherland opened, with the arms pressing a cylinder of sorts against the thinner armor of the _Aquila_'s back. "Chaos Mine Breaker…"

Five Chaos Mines—all that the Sutherland Air had carried—erupted all at once, breaking open and unleashing a storm of molten projectiles that carved through both Knightmares at point-blank range, too close for shields to protect against, an unavoidable barrage that took the life of both combatants, as the remnants of Tamaki's squad looked on in disbelief.

"He…he really did it," one of them muttered, eyes wide at the sight of the explosion that had claimed Tamaki—and the Knight of Nine. "He took out…a Knight of the Round."

"Damn, guess he really was a good as he said…and I used to think he was just a load of hot air…" another whispered almost reverently, but whirled in fury to confront a set of Vincents rushing to attack their weakened position, as his lips curled into a snarl. "For his sake, let's show these Britannian bastards the meaning of tangling with the Black Knights!"

Aerial formation reforming to challenge the oncoming flight-enabled Vincents, the Sutherland Airs juked and jinked aside, working in teams of two to first destroy an enemy Knightmare's float unit, and then smash the cockpit with a well-placed Slash Harken or a burst from their assault rifles, determined to avenge the valiant Internal Cleaning Supporter.

"Nippon Banzai! Just who the hell do you think we are?ǃ"

In the meantime, Sayoko and Cecile were pressing their attack against the Knight of Twelve's _Percival, _with Cecile attacking with VARIS particle blasts to gain keep the pilot off-balance, while Sayoko parried the ever spinning, ever thrusting particle-drill lance with the Lancelot's dual maser vibration swords—only for counterfire from the hip-mounted hadron blasters to slam against her frame's shields, forcing it back.

All around them, Knightmares danced and whirled and exploded in beautiful blooms of fire and smoke, as human lives winked out in miniature blazes of glory.

**

* * *

**

**Battle over Tokyo Bay**

Following the irrecoverable loss of the Britannian Navy's Pacific Fleet (and hearing that the Knights of Nine and Twelve were meeting with stiff resistance at the Tokyo Settlement), Knight of Four Dorothea Ernst decided that her best course of action at this point was to take her remaining forces and join the larger contingent of Rounds, as the rebels would very likely have concentrated their defenses at the Settlement.

'_I see…they seek a decisive confrontation,'_ the Knight of Four thought mentally, thinking to herself that they had certainly struck a massive blow by sinking her ships, leaving her aerial units with nothing to escort. _'Well, if that is the case, we should join the battle to crush them utterly…'_

"Deploy Knightmares and VTOLs in case of enemy attack," she ordered, as the technicians on the bridge of the _Tintagel_ scurried around to do their jobs. "Prioritize energy usage for Blaze Luminous shielding, and have our picket units be ready to visually confirm stealthed targets."

After hearing of the fate that had befallen the other detachments of the Britannian Aerial Armada, Lady Ernst did not want to employ too little caution, lest the all too capable rebels prove themselves—

"Radar detects five incoming squadrons of Knightmares, ETA approximately 5 minutes," one of her bridge officers reported, as the dark-skinned Knight's eyes narrowed at the news. "Will you be preparing to sortie in your _Gareth_, Lady Ernst?"

'_I thought as much…after taking the trouble to obliterate my naval fleet, it would be the height of folly to leave my smaller aerial flotilla unmolested,'_ the Knight of Four mused silently, rising from her command chair and heading towards the lift.

"Indeed, I will be heading out to confront these rebels," replied Dorothea Ernst, thinking that this was an opportunity to at least (slightly) avenge the deaths of her drowned comrades. "Given the caliber of their pilots so far, and their stealth technology, there may yet be more foes to manage besides these. Methinks the _Gareth'_s Hadron machine guns would be useful in case we should encounter such an enemy."

Indeed, the Gareth would be quite useful in evening odds against large numbers of opponents, as, like the Gawain, it possessed hadron blaster technology, missile launchers and machine guns, combined with eight slash harkens mounted to the hips. While not as powerful as the Mordred in terms of sheer destructive ability, nor as heavily protected, the Gareth was a more maneuverable frame customized for mid-range combat.

'_I doubt the enemy will be expecting a Knightmare of this level of power on the battlefield,' _the woman thought to herself as she proceeded to the hanger bay and strapped in. 'N_ot that I wouldn't appreciate the backup of the Knight of Six at this point in time, of course.'_

Given current conditions, Dorothea Ernst had no way of knowing that the Knight of Six was having a little difficulty of her own at the moment, but as she couldn't rely on outside help, would not worry about factors outside her control. After all, was she not the Knight of Four, the second highest ranking of the Rounds that had been dispatched to Area 11, and did she not have a mission to complete at all costs?

Thus it was that a few minutes later, the Gareth launched from the _Tintagel_, followed by four squadrons of customized Vincent Wards armed with Maser Vibration Lances, flying to meet—

'_So the rebel Earl completed a Vincent of his own…'_

—what appeared to be a black and silver Vincent, followed by four odd Knightmare Frames armed with heated chainswords, of all things, each leading a four units of Sutherland Airs into battle.

'_Five special units armed with swords…,' _the Knight of Four mused as she opened fire, a crimson blast of coruscating light and heat shooting out at the enemies—only to be blocked by some kind of Blaze Luminous device. _'Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords…interesting.'_

From within the cockpit of his customized Vincent, Lt. Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh's lips pressed into a thin line as he considered the enemies before him.

"Holy Swords, your enemy is the Knight of Four," he ordered, maser vibration polearm extended as he swooped towards the Gareth. "Close in and destroy it—use spinning life or death formation!"

At the press of a button, a massive salvo of missiles surged out towards the ranks of the enemy, leaving white trails in the darkness of the night as they sought targets, with the Black Knights close behind to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.

**

* * *

**

**Duel over the Pacific**

Within the cockpit of the Guren (and supported by the covering fire of the allied flotilla under the command of Governor General Asplund), Kallen Kozuki was wreaking havoc on the Britannian Armada, putting her VARIS particle cannon and radiant wave surger to good use as she gutted the float units of several escort vessels—and fried numerous mass production model Knightmares that had been sent against her.

'_Is this the sense of satisfaction that Lelouch feels when everything goes as planned—or when he can just wipe his foes from the sky with a single blast?'_ Rider wondered silently as she sent her Knightmare Frame through a series of maneuvers to avoid enemy fire—which she then proceeded to use her Geass on to destroy the point-defense systems of several ships, rendering them easy targets for missiles or other weapons. _'I mean, really, this is almost too—'_

_Whirr! Whirr! Whoosh!_

An instinctive evasion was all that saved her from a blur of white, as Slash Harkens shot towards the Guren one after another, with her frame dodging one-two-three—using her maser vibration forkknife to slice two more, and grabbing the rest as—

_Whoom! Pow!_

—the Galahad took control of the battle by charging forward and sending the Guren sprawling with a flight enhanced rocket punch!

'_He's good…'_

"So at last we meet, Zero!" boomed the ostentatious, obstreperous voice of the Knight of One, as his massive Knightmare Frame forced the Guren backwards. "Unfortunately, it is also time for you to die."

In retaliation, Rider triggered the extendable feature of the radiant wave surge arm in an attempt to grip the enemy unit's head—only to be warded away by one of Britannia's all too common energy shields. Gritting her teeth, Kallen activated the surger anyway, as a wave of heat and light tore through space—and forcibly pushed the two units apart, while melting the Galahad's Slash Harkens and cables into slag.

_Whirr!_

As they were pushed apart, Rider countered with an attack from her own Slash Harkens, but the other frame only dodged slightly as it pulled back, out of range—only to draw a golden sword larger than the Galahad itself.

'_As expected of the Knight of One, the greatest Knight of Britannia…his main weapon is a sword of some kind. But if that's the case, I'll smash him from range!'_

With that, Kallen activated her most powerful weapon, the "armor piercing" radiant wave beam, as a surge of concentrated microwave radiation poured out of the extended silver hand of her Knightmare, lancing towards the white and purple Galahad—

_Zhom!_

—which didn't evade at all, merely interposing its massive blade between the massive radiation beam and the Knightmare itself, as translucent whorls of energy poured out of the golden sword—blocking and then deflecting her greatest attack with seemingly little effort, dissipating the blast into the surrounding air.

"Surprised?" taunted the stentorian tones of the Empire's greatest Knight. "This is Excalibur, the Holy Sword, named by His Majesty the Emperor himself."

"Excalibur?" Kallen shot back. "That's a pretentious name if I ever heard one."

"How fittingly said for one who calls herself nothing," came the reply, as the Galahad charged, massive sword held before it, as if to slice the Guren apart with one blow. "And soon will return to nothingness!"

_Clang! Hiss!_

The frame of the Knight of One came forward at breakneck speeds as Kallen pulled back, interposing her much smaller maser vibration forkknife in an attempt to block—

_Crack!_

—only for that knife to be broken on the first impact, with Kallen using the imparted momentum of the blow to have her Knightmare roll aside, out of the direct line of attack—

'_Maybe a wide angle blast to slow him down?'_

_Whoosh!_

Once again, the silver arm extended, with crimson energy shooting outwards in a wide spread, one that even the Excalibur should not be able to block completely due to the relative size of blast and shield—

_Slash! Crunch!_

—but the Knight of One didn't even try, instead choosing to turn and charge through the reduced force of the blast, his sword _whirr_ing down and slicing off the silver arm of the red Knightmare, rendering the wave surger useless, and continuing down to smash the right side of the Air Glide Wing unit.

'_No…without those, I can't hope to match him…'_

"I'm disappointed, Zero," came the voice once again, as the Guren began to lose altitude, with Kallen falling back as quickly as she could, and the Galahad came in for the final blow, sword raised to cleave the red Knightmare in two, pilot and all. "I expected more of a challenge from the Empire's greatest enemy."

_Zhu! Zhu! Zhu! Zhu! Zhu!_

From the undamaged portion of the Air Glide Wing backpack, missiles shot out and away from the Guren, streaking towards the Galahad—which simply ignored the incoming projectiles, as its shields were more than capable of withstanding a strike of such magnitude.

'_Gotcha.'_

That proved a mistake, as the missiles were not aimed at the Galahad, but around it in a circular formation, each deploying a spherical black object that blazed with green light, as all the systems on the Knight of One's Knightmare Frame went offline, thanks to the power of a Gefjun Net.

"No…it can't be, what fiendish trick—"

And as the Galahad plummeted towards the ocean far below, systems dark and disabled, the Guren angled towards it, raising its undamaged left arm and charging the built in VARIS for maximum destructive potential, as three green particle blasts shot out from the cannon—

_BOOM!_

—and destroyed the Knight of One's frame, pilot and all, accompanied by a second explosion up above, as the _Avalon _eliminated the _Corbenik_ with a final blast of its massive Hadron Cannon.

"I'm disappointed, Knight of One," Rider replied as she signaled the _Avalon_ for retrieval. "I expected more of a challenge from the Empire's greatest Knight."

**

* * *

**

**Phantasm World of V.V. – "Abhorrent Illusion"**

Within the machine-like interior of V.V.'s world, a unstable place of interlocking gears and cogs and sprockets, with white and crimson masks floating throughout the space, maintained by the infinite mana of the false gate, four figures opposed one another, three against one, with another floating high in the air, bound to the gear on which she was crucified, her soul's power being drained.

Two of the three were wraiths—a corrupted "Assassin" and "Lancer" dressed in flowing grey cloaks covered with red and white masks, laughing bestially as they looked hungrily towards their prey. The third was seemingly a small child, but was in reality the master of this illusionary world, an immortal of great power waging war against the woman in white who opposed him, having summoned forth the physical embodiment of all the evils of the world against his hated enemy—the one who would dare stymie his plans!

_Rumble!_

The shadowy giant that was the world's corruption closed in, spreading its arms to block its prey's escape as it surged forward, a demonic crystallization of anger, despair, hatred, despair, human darkness, and the death of dreams certain to destroy whatever it touched.

_Fsh!_

But a flare of silver light erased it from existence, as an unflinching Reaper in White stood before the three, the great silver scythe in her hands gleaming with inner frozen light and humming as it sliced the air.

"A lucky blow, no more," V.V. muttered incredulously, sending six more of these creatures forward to attack, swarthy giants of flame with adamantine skin and immense strength, mad warriors formed by the spirits of those who had perished, by the terror of death, whose could cause massive destruction simply by moving, corrupting all that they touched.

"NUAAAAA!"** they **roared, lashing their tendrils outwards towards the Reaper in White—

_Fsh!_

—only to be denied existence once again by the green-haired witch with eyes of gold, form gleaming with silver light as she slashed her opponents apart like a whirlwind, as a single being standing against the many—and winning.

"Wha—"

The voice of shock came from V.V., the immortal who commanded all within this corrupted world. Each of these giants was the equivalent of a Last Phantasm, an ultimate crystallization of death and despair—and for anything less than a Code-bearer, it should mean inescapable death.

'_I sealed away her code, so why…?ǃ'_

And yet, C.C. had struck down seven—no eight, each with a single blow, as the counter guardian charged towards her foe.

"That's not possible…Bradley, Weinberg, destroy her!" the eternally young boy ordered, as the two wraiths rushed at the Grey Witch, with the young boy hurling lightning at the one who has stood in his way so many times.

_Sizzle-sizzle-hiss!_

An explosion of darkness echoes, as the word '**Zabaniya' **was hissed, and Bradley multiplied himself into eight copies, each hurling flaming knives at the Reaper in White, posing a distraction as Shadows closed in from all around, above, below, swarming like an unstoppable tide—

_Snap! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!_

But each of the daggers was deflected by streaks of black ice, as C.C. fought furiously to keep the enemy at bay, keeping the corruption from advancing towards her. From where she stood, Zero could sense the malice embodied in the shadowy titans that threatened to overwhelm her, and she knew that if she were to cease her struggles…her fate would be theirs, as she currently lacked the protection of the Code.

'_I am the blade of the scythe that tends the harvest…'_

"Hah—"

"Just give in, C.C…know the peace that comes in death!" V.V. intoned, laughing darkly at C.C.'s plight. "It's hopeless for you to oppose me…for here, I have unlimited power!"

"If it's unlimited, why haven't you already won?" Zero shot back, mumbling an spell under her breath—

_Whirr!_

—invoking a thousand icy chains that arose to strike the enemy, purging the shadows they touched with explosions of light, as C.C. rushed forward, slashing once-twice-thrice the Bradley doppelgangers so that they gushed blood over the once sterile gears, some splashing onto her white dress as she pressed her attack.

'_I do so hate bloodstains…they're impossible to get out…'_

Determined to escape this wretched trap, the Grey Witch raised her scythe to slice V.V. apart—but the eternally young boy vanished, only to reappear in another corner of the illusory world, his previous location now occupied by numerous incarnations of corruption and death, a number incomparable to before.

An icy gale from overhead, as the frozen scythe slashed the demon of fire, its petite wielder defying death once and again, knowing well enough the disparities in her strength and those of her enemies, yet betting on a chance of victory with a great violence surpassing human possibilities.

"You've gained some control over your Code, I see," she observed, glaring at the shadow as C.C. cast an immense explosion of ice that pushed back the shadows, her golden eyes burning with determination as she slashed and whirled and cleaved, a relentless typhoon to match the rampaging powers all around her. "More than I would have thought possible in only half a century, brat!"

_Snap! Squelch!_

The blood splashed on her form earlier now took its toll, crystallizing into jagged swords that pierced the Grey Witch's side, the pain staggering her as rampaging demons closed in, determined to consume her. And yet, she forced herself to straighten, concentrating what strength she has left into a single minded dance of battle, facing the oncoming death like a rock jutting out against the pounding surf.

Though she was wounded, with the blood-blades damaging her insides, there was a hint of a smile on her face as she hefted her weapon, waiting for the cursed wave to come as she beckoned tauntingly with her hands. Pounding thunder grew louder as the horde draw nearer, nearer, nearer still to kill off the last guardian of the world, and it seemed that there would be no countercharge.

"_**Ame…**_

Gathering around the form of the Reaper was a pure white light, coiling around her, accompanied by a maelstrom of ice and wind, sending her hair and clothes in disarray as she drew what power she could, a circle of runes appearing around her as an offensive ward, converging and spinning, bolstering the light of the scythe as she spun, once-twice-thrice, cleaving shadows apart, as the air chills…

"…_**nonu…"**_

Sensing a competing power, the specters rushed en masse to overwhelm the Reaper in White, the shadowy forms reaching out tendrils that engulf the area in which the Witch stood, forcing itself through the wards, closer, closer, closer in shadow and flame to—

"…._**hoko."**_

In an instant, everything changed, as the name of the scythe of creation was invoked, a tornado of ice, wind, and rainbow light unsealed as it the blizzard slams outwards, an overwhelming amount of mana flowing from the Grey Witch's reserves as she sought to erase every bit of this flawed illusionary world, power surging from her, roiling out in an attempt to overcome the false gate—

_Rumble! Rumble! Roar!_

The enclosure of the world of gears shook violently as it was rocked to its very foundations by a power older than recorded history—shadows being summoned to oppose it out of fear, only to be mercilessly eliminated by the light…

"Hah—uh, hah…"

…but in the end, light faltered, with C.C.'s reserves running out when pitted against the infinite amount drawn from the false gate, as _squelch squelch squelch_ knives flew forward, and the form of Bradley advanced, a lusty leer on his face as the wraith looked the Reaper up and down, licking his lips and laughing maniacally, and all the while, the shadows crept closer, tendrils of inky blackness infusing themselves into C.C.'s skin as the Witch _screamed._

"So, that was your Noble Phantasm…the scythe which was used to create the world, separating preservation and ruin from utter chaos," V.V. noted. "Fearfully powerful, but in the end, limited…even the oldest of mysteries is worthless before a Code and the Gate. Resist if you want, but your end is here, C.C…nothing can save you, not even a Servant, since any proper Champion would be instantly corrupted by the power I wield."

"_**AUUUGHHHHHH!"**_

A distant scream that gave V.V. pause as the world shook around him once again, a large portion of the gears fading from black to static—and—

_**BOOM! Crunch!**_

"NO!" the young immortal boy cried out, as a wall of his delusional world was blown apart in a blaze of fire, opening a portal to an endless void—

"_**RAAAGHHHHH!"**_

—revealing the form of an extremely pissed off demon king, a snarling beast wrought of fire and blood, pupil-less eyes wide and glowing red, a clawed, winged form of unholy terror, with a shroud of black shadows shifting and moving with him, overwrought by designs of liquid darkness and pulsing red, two gunblades held in his hand, dripping with fresh blood.

A dramatic gesture with his arms, and a gout of molten fire shot from his body through this Phantasm World, destroying the corruption which had tried to stain C.C., as his eyes fixed upon the little blond boy which had caused him so much misery, eyes focusing on the…creature.

"_**Implacable Alastor," **_Avenger hissed, and through the quick closing portal to a world of void spawned a thousand blades floating in the air, all turning to face his ancient enemy—

–and with a blur of motion, opens fire on V.V., tracers of fire and light darting out and slamming into the Code-Bearer, right between V.V.'s eyes, as all the weapons floating in static—

_Whoosh! Whirr! Clang! Thud!_

—surged forth in a continuous storm of blades, snaking through the air to strike at V.V. one after another, the sudden onslaught ripping his body to shreds, impaling his body, lacerating, puncturing, carving deep furrows into his limbs, his gut, his chest, with one particularly large sword lopping off his head.

Or so it would have been, had V.V. not raised a shield formed of the world's curses, blocking the onslaught, as the swords were shoved away, thrown into the air to rain down all over the battlefield.

"What? You're not a true Servant…" V.V. began, but cut himself off at the sight of Avenger, C.C. momentarily forgotten as he ordered his wraiths to attack. "To break into a world of infinite mana, to defy a Code-bearer's will…you…what the hell are you?ǃ"

There was only low, sibilant laughter.

"C.C. is my—" Avenger started, then cut himself off, not wanting to reveal any more information as he watched the Code-bearer regenerate with sickening speed. "From the beginning, this was a war between you and me…"

On closer inspection, if the face were more human, it might resemble…

"…_her_ child? Even in death, that cursed woman still plagues me?ǃ" V.V. hissed, losing his composure at this reminder of the past. "You are…"

"What clings to the world, unbearable, unacceptable, hidden?" the Wraith of Vengeance asked, mad laughter echoing hauntingly in the sword-strewn expanse, his eyes glowing with unholy flame as the demon advanced upon V.V., gunblades drawn, mouth set in a slasher smile. "Admit it, face it, accept it...that I am a monument to all your sins!"

* * *

**A/N**: Well, the battles continue, with the Battle for Area 11 beginning to tip in the rebels' favor, while our Phantasmagoria trap has been sprung, with a very, very angry prince having somehow broken into V.V.'s world. What happens next? Read on to find out, as the story continues. Remember, reviews are much appreciated!


	33. Reminiscing Heretics

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Phantasm World of V.V. – "Abhorrent Illusion"**

Though the Grey Witch had struggled defiantly against her many foes, the end was already determined. For one who had been temporarily reduced to mortality to face off against two wraiths and a Code-bearer with unlimited mana was reckless and unwise, at best, and conditions were far from the best. Yet C.C. had no choice if she held out hope of escaping the trap V.V. had wrought, with the treacherous blond boy having found a way to seal away the protection of her Code, seeking to corrupt her and turn the green-haired witch into a Code-bearing wraith under his control.

'_Never…I would rather die than let that insolent brat become a god,'_ the Reaper in White thought, resolving to fight to the end—for as long as she held the scythe that was the symbol of her contract, the Noble Phantasm that had first raised Atlantis from the sea and had sunk it beneath the waves, she would oppose her enemy! _'For I am the soul of my blade…'_

She had stood alone against the rogue Code-bearer and his minions, striking out against the physical manifestations of all the evils of the world to buy time, to do as much damage as humanly possible before the end.

'_For with the precautions that V.V. set up, it should be impossible to break through his phantasm trap…' _C.C. mused, while spinning, whirling, slashing as her form blazed with light that erased malignant shadows. _'Impossible for all save one…'_

"_**Auughhh!"**_

In the end, she had fallen, with the relentless onslaught of the wraiths and shadows too much to cope with due to her lack of mana and her wounds incurred earlier (not healing due to her sealed Code), and the Grey Witch could only look on helplessly as tendrils of inky darkness insinuated themselves into her skin, seeking to—

Agony, as crimson blades were driven into her side, something sharp and oozing slithering in under her flesh, her head pounding, as if darkness from within was pulsing outwards towards her eyes. Her pulse raced, demanding that she fight or flee—but at the moment, she could do neither, her nerves splitting one after another, her spinal cord going berserk, as if it was about to leap out of her back from sheer agony, as blood and shadow coat my body, corrupting it little by little, with gurgling sounds as it began to assimilate her.

'_Die. Die. Hurry up and Die,'_ the shadows voiced sadistically, spilling their poison into her veins.

So they seemed to hiss and chant in unison, priests of the cult of violence singing hymns to their dark god.

A scream—no, that was the Reaper in White screaming, only to be cut off, as a knife was driven into her gut. Death, death impending death…like the people she could not save, the many faces, many people pleading for help in the midst of destruction…would she die as well? C.C. had experienced physical death countless times over the millennia, but if she died this time, without the protection of the Code to bring her back—she would end up a slave to V.V.'s will, helpless to stop the brat from completing his plan.

'_I can't die here, not like this…'_ she muttered silently in her head. If escape was impossible, if she could not win on her own then…there was only one thing to be done. By herself, here, she could not do anything…so to bring an end to this Eden Vital War, she would…she would need her sword. '_No…I order you to come, AVENGER!'_

_**RUMBLE! WHOOSH!**_

—and then the world shattered, as a storm of white-hot starfire burned through her, flooded through her via her connection with her Servant, mana pouring into her and filling her reserves to overflowing—an infinite supply to match an infinite supply. Bit by bit, like a drop of water going down a leaf, feeling returned to her body as the pain simply faded.

'_Heh…there is a reason that raising a hand against another immortal like this is considered taboo, you naïve brat. For it is the power of the joint Codes that keeps the hidden one in check…'_

With that, C.C.'s eyes blazed, the Grey Witch forcing herself to her feet…and smirking as she saw the extremely angry form of Avenger tear his way into the boundaries, ripping through the protections V.V. had emplaced as if they were not there to begin with, his true form revealed.

'_If Rider were here, she'd likely be convinced that Avenger was a true demon…'_ Zero thought to herself, raising her scythe as V.V.'s shadows rose to consume her once again, her lips curving into a wry smile as her form blazed with power once more. _'And I'm not going to let my Servant outdo me on this battlefield…'_

_Clang!_

The beautiful sound of metal on metal rang in the air, as the wraith-like "lancer" moved to confront her, slashing at the Reaper with his demonic spear, as shadows closed in from all around, moving almost more quickly than the eye could see, leaking murderous intent as beings that existed only to destroy, beings created as weapons made only to kill.

_Swish! Slash! Fsh!_

The lancer thrust his crimson spear in a lightning-fast attempt to pierce C.C.'s head, but was repelled by the haft of Reaper's scythe, as the Grey Witch counterattacked without hesitation, sparks flying from the clash of steel on steel. The lance-wielder growled under his breath, attacking without hesitation, without any sign of relenting—but the Reaper in White simply parried the blow of the cursed spear and knocked away all following attacks, driving this zombie-like lancer back with every counter strike.

"Guh!"

_Blam!_

For a moment, the lancer Weinberg's lance glowed, as it tried to block the forceful blows of the Reaper, the lance held vertically to protect his ribs from C.C.'s onslaught. Again and again, the liquid light of the scythe slammed forward with a blow like an explosion, threatening to slice the spear in two if the lancer did not retreat.

"Guh!"

The zombie Weinberg staggered under the fierce storm of attacks without pause, fighting on the defensive, as he blocked and parried the blows of the spinning scythe, sparks flying through the air again and again, until a terrible blow, stronger than any that had come before smashed down, as if to tear apart this lancer and his weapon all at once.

_Clatter-clat!_

But, as if sensing the danger, the Lancer jumped back with a burst of shadow, disappearing from range—the blow of the scythe cutting through the air and destroying the ground below, bringing the spinning of a gear to a halt. The Knight of Three, having just jumped back several meters, reversed his retreat, appearing in front of the Grey Witch as if teleporting, thrusting his lance at—

_BOOM! Squelch!_

—what he intended didn't matter, as Gino Weinberg was blown back, his body cut in two, with the pieces sent skidding thudding from gear to gear, slamming against a far wall, his crimson spear smashed to pieces in the clash of weapons.

But, like vultures homing in wounded, dying prey, shadows gathered from all around the fallen lancer, plunging into him as the lancer's body parts regenerated into two zombie like manifestations, as the word_** "Ríastrad"**_was hissed, every hair on the Weinbergs' body standing out straight, with beads of blood on the tips, skin seeming to move about of its own accord as veins bulged and darkened, the berserk wraiths summoning new crimson spears out of nowhere and charging at the Reaper in White.

'_A berserker ability…figures,'_ thought Zero, as she raised her scythe to counter, body ablaze with inner power, moving with unmatched instincts honed through 12,000 years of endless battle. _'And regenerating into clones…I see, all of this is but a world of shadows made by V.V., and as long as he has the mana to sustain it, none of his creatures will truly die. Unless, that is…I erase its concept of existence!'_

"Hahahahaha!" a mad laugh joined the fray. As if to add to C.C.'s displeasure, the zombie "Assassin" had moved in once more, splitting its form into the full 8 specters possible as if laughing at the immortal's abilities, seeking to distract her from her fight with the berserk lancer.

_'I can't let him...'_

_Whirr! Clang!_

A knife was parried before it could pierce C.C.'s skull, then-

_Whirr Whirr Whirr!_

Daggers like bullets lanced out at the Reaper in White, but they were knocked aside, blocked by a spinning scythe as-

**"GUAAHHHHHHHH!"** the zombie Lancers roared, charging in while the opponent was distracted, spears smashing for temple, neck, torso!

_Clash!_

"Ahhh!"

She blocked these strikes in quick succession, but was being driven back by the awesome show of force, strikes like a waterfall hurtling for her, each with more than lethal intent. For this was the Warp Spasm of legend, the berserk state in which a warrior's body sought out destruction of its own accord in order to defeat foes. In truth, Zero's body, now bereft of the Code's protection screamed for her to run away...but she could not, not when her Servant had already done so much to free her.

_'See if I'll let you win, little zombie!'_

With that, the Reaper in White ran _towards_ the monster, heart pounding, breath hissing from between her teeth, embracing the paradox of destruction as she countered, flaring mana as an impromptu shield as she cleaves one, and-

_Blam!_

-was struck by the fist of the other, knocking her back towards the hurled knives of the assassin.

_Fsh!_

"Giyahhh!" the Reaper cried out, transferring all her strength to her left foot, sliding her body with only her legs to the sound of tearing muscles, just barely managing to evade the next spear and knives that shot past by her, only a hair's breadth from her vulnerable body.

_Crash!_

Trusting her instincts, the Reaper rushed in to slash the zombie Lancer's side, but its comrade was quicker, as the most agile class was wont to be, demonic spear lashing out at her, as once more, she jumped to the side, with the seven-barbed spear leaving a long score in the earth.

**"Krrrrr", **the berserk warriors growled under their breath, raising their spears as they surged forward, crimson lances whirling in twin cyclones of destruction as-

_Whirr Whirr Whirr!_

More of the knives were thrown, aiming at temple, pancreas, and diaphragm, but C.C. challenged the lightning flashes of these weapons with her scythe, knowing that if she could just cut down the Assassin clones, scattered and moving as they were, she could surely-

_Clang! Clang! Clatter_

Innumerable knives shot into the air, demanding the immortal's full attention to block, as a blow like a cannonball struck her from behind.

"Guh!" she winced, feeling the pain echoing through her injured body, but...

_Fsh!_

A bloody mist filled their air as each of the white skull masked Bradleys slit their wrists, spraying a mist of high-pressure blood from their hands.

_'What the—? Not-'_

There was a term called a fatal attack, a move that will kill, determine victory. For Assassin, this was it. The daggers were merely a feint, as mist that could not be blocked condensed into sanguine needles, shooting towards every inch of Zero's exposed form with fatal precision. She attempted to dodge, to parry, to defend her head, but though she managed that much, she could not stop the needles that embedded themselves in her whirling limbs—and _exploded, _throwing her backwards.

"So your blood is good for more than making knives," C.C. managed to get out, wheezing and scrabbling backwards to avoid another barrage of bloody needles-flaring her mana to slow down those that came close, as bloody shafts rained down on her, narrowing her range of movement little by little, till she was completely surrounded by crimson needles, unable to avoid being pierced...

**_"GWYAOOOO!"_ **

_Thud!_

The hammer like blow of a spear's haft hurls her body aside like a smoking, charred leaf, as C.C. focused what was left of her consciousness on overclock the mind, as she rose once again to the counter her foes, grasping the cold handle of her weapon as she stopped her movement in mid-flight, reversing her course like a meteor of light!

Time slows, two crimson spears are thrown-

**"**_**Areadbhar!"**_

The name of the cursed crimson spear with seven heads (each tipped with seven barbs) that inflicted unhealable wounds. When thrown, it would pierces the enemy's armor and "course through the highways and byways of his body so that every single joint filled with barbs, leading to an invariably fatal result, though the spear is lost in the process.

Two seconds to impact.

Zero doesn't even try to avoid it, continuing to plunging forward towards the pair of berserk warriors, intending to erase their flawed existence from this world!

Upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, temple, diaphragm, ribs, testicles, thigh.

_BOOM!_

Exceeding the speed of sound with a flare of mana, the deathblows rain down, slicing, cleaving, ripping the black berserkers apart, as a final gout of frozen starfire vaporized them completely, leaving no template for them to regenerate from-

"Kuh!"

_-a_s C.C. staggered, the demonic spears slamming into her, barbs beginning their fatal spread through every inch of her body from the points of impact in chest and side.

_'But I am not dead quite yet...and as long as I have breath...I will fight!'_

"What do people value most?" taunted the eight cloaked assassins as they hurled their knives, accompanied by a barrage of arrows, closing in on mortally wounded prey. It would only be a matter of time now. "Their lives of course! Even you are no exception."

"Tch. From the beginning, that was a meaningless concept," C.C. replied, breathing heavily as pain coursed with every movement, barbs spreading through internal organs, joints, vessels. She concentrated as hard as she could to keep her form together, gritting her teeth as nausea washed over her. "For I gave up truly living the moment I took up my scythe! You want to kill me? Then try."

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Fsh - Boom!_

As this was happening, V.V. was being confronted by an extremely irate Servant, a being like a snarling beast wrought of fire and blood that shouldn't even be here to begin with, much less be able to launch a Phantasm World's worth of blades at the young immortal—which the eternally young boy was able to mostly block, but nevertheless managed to wound him, as one rogue blade severed his left foot from his leg, sending the Code-bearer sprawling.

"The monument to all my sins?" the immortal snarked as his form regenerated in a matter of seconds. "And what sins are those, conceited child of Marianne, prince of lies? As a child of that woman, you should drown in your ideals and die."

_Rumble!_

Appearing at V.V.'s summons, shadowy figures embodying anger, despair, hatred, despair, human darkness, and the death of dreams hurtled forward towards Avenger in, spreading their arms as if to swallow up the Servant all at once—only for the intruder not to even bother blocking the wave of corruption as it washed over him—and was absorbed into the shroud of liquid darkness and flame shifting and moving around him, the Wraith of Vengeance's aura pulsing as it greedily drank in the mana within the corruption.

'_Wha—? That's…impossible_,'V.V. thought, eyes widening as he flinched, taking a step or two back. _'He isn't a Code-bearer, nor even a Servant…so how is he able to—'_

A chill ran down the immortal's spine as his eyes took in what the demon was doing—

'_He's not resisting the corruption, or ignoring it, as a more powerful Servant or a Code-bearer might…' _V.V. realized, reaching into the mind of his unwitting slave Anya for a countermeasure. _'Whatever the hell he is…he's absorbing the shadows into his body, drinking them in like they're…'_

But it couldn't be. What kind of being would actually be _strengthened_ by a power whose only purpose was to corrupt and destroy, a power proven to be pretty much impossible to defend against without an outrageously powerful Noble Phantasm…or a Code.

'_And now C.C. is back on her feet, having somehow been purged of corruption...holding back the relentless tide of attackers with her scythe. Will that infuriating Counter-Guardian never die?'_

"_**Illusionary Web,"**_ the young V.V. spat, no longer amused, thrusting out his hands towards the oncoming demon king, as crystals of some indeterminate substance broke through the floor to surround the area where the two stood, beautiful in form, but horrendously alien and disturbing to the mind as they sucked away the available mana—and more importantly, sealed more powerful Noble Phantasms, while draining any Servants unlucky enough to be caught of their limited reserves.

_Fwoosh! Crackle! Clank! _

'_That's right…child of Marianne, you may have power, but no matter how powerful you may be in this world of illusion, your amount may as well be zero before the infinite might of the gate! And surely, after the amount you expended to break into this prison dimension, you should be fatally weakened.'_

"You cannot stop me with such a thing!" the Wraith of Vengeance snarled, simply lifting his gunblades and firing as he rushed forward, barely heeding the way the environment itself was draining his mana, or how the resonance echoing through the crystalline landscape was putting pressure on his mind, preventing him from thinking clearly.

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

Tracers of fire and light hissed and snapped as they flew through the air, solid lead slugs blowing clean through the little boy's head, with blood, brains, gore splattering out over the ebon floor as the boy fell, his body disappearing into little motes of light—

_Flash!_

—then reappearing whole and hale a good distance away from Avenger, standing on a gear floating in the air, and without another word, the rogue Code-bearer released from his hands an unfathomable darkness, a swarm of grain-sized curses that hissed and shrieked down upon Avenger without mercy, eating away at his mind, his soul, his very being, as hell was printed on his brain—

'_For only a full Code-Bearer could survive the power of the all-consuming shadow…'_

'_DIE'_, it commanded. _'Traitor to humanity, killer, son of a murderer. Selfish selfish selfish…begrudging, jealous, thief of love, thief of hope, thief thief thief, theft of glory, mud darkness malice, creeping in hearts, elimination of human rights by castration, exile, execution, atone, atone, atone with death and DIE.'_

—or at least that was the intention, as the Wraith of Vengeance simply spread his arms and embraced the assault of the nigh infinite corruption, his haunting laughter echoing through the sword-strewn expanse, his eyes glowing with unholy flame as the shadows around him lengthened into great wings, lifting Avenger high into the air.

'_DIE DIE DIE. Failure failure failure, you are failure, failure to friends, failure to family, failure to self. Pissant peeved peasant trodden on the path, vermin of unusual girth, virus to the world. KILLING leeching warmth, the scapegoat, crushed underfoot, malignancy, cancer to be excised in VIOLATION. Unwanted child, dreaming nightmares, dreaming nightmares, dreaming nightmares of one's eternal fate. DIE. DIE and BE KILLED.'_

So the voices of the collective unconscious ordered, but Avenger would have none of it. He was a sword, and a sword had but one purpose…

"Be killed? By Who? By what?" Lelouch repeated sarcastically, his glowing red eyes fixed on the rogue Code-bearer as he advanced inexorably, the corruption burning itself into him, his weapons, his flesh and making him _stronger_. The fell Servant had only one target now, and that being was before him, the source of the intoxicating brew that fed his abilities, the visible curses that made up his body. "To that, there's only one answer: you will be killed by me."

_Whoosh! Slice!_

It happened even before the rogue immortal noticed. The hand that was readying a spell to banish the intruder felt something hot, as a powerful force rammed into him, knocking the eternally young boy from his perch as he lost his balance and fell back, a warm sensation flowing from the stump of his wrist.

"... Huh?" he said dumbly, staring in shock, unsure of what just happened.

He wouldn't get the chance to think.

At that instant, V.V. was set upon by a ravening beast, slicing, cutting, stabbing, shadows and flames battering the immortal's form as wickedly serrated blades were jammed into his eyes, thrust into his chest, across his throat, followed by bullets unloaded at point blank range into his groin, his thighs, his hands, as—

_SLAM! CRUNCH!_

The pleasant sound of bones breaking and organs being bruised was heard over the grinding clank of gears and cogs, as V.V.'s body was hurled into the gap between the teeth of gears, and smashed into a bloody pulp.

_Flash!_

Unfortunately for Avenger, as a Code-Bearer, V.V. had the advantage of immortality, so once again the wretched little boy pulled a disappearing-reappearing act, this time pulling long serrated knives from his sleeves, as he intended to take care of C.C. while the Grey Witch was busy fighting off the berserk lancers.

'_If I can't destroy the Servant, I'll just kill off the—'_

_Thud! Slam!_

But he wouldn't get the chance, as there was no escape from the implacable alastor named Lelouch vi Britannia. The instant the young immortal moved Avenger shot from the air, severing the spine, the heels, the ankles, as the cloying sweet scent of blood rose from the impromptu field of slaughter, overwhelming the pungent odors of oil and sweat.

_Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice! CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT!_

A shower of blood sprayed with each swing. Stabbing. Slashing. Piercing. Carving. Splitting into pieces. Limbs flying. Skin flayed.

"Don't you dare hurt C.C.," Avenger hissed with sadistic glee, listening for the satisfying sound of cartilage yielding as he crushed his opponent's windpipe with his clawed hand, his gunblade having been driven through the rogue immortal's gut as the demon stared down V.V., watching the little creature writhe pitifully, trying to escape from his all-seeing gaze. "What sins are yours, you ask? You, an immortal that fears death so much that you would stop tomorrow from coming, who perceives only what helps _you_ in the end? If you could truly see the truth, could you maintain your sanity? Your precious little Code isn't something to boast about, little brat…something to be turned against the world for your selfish little whims. Sniveling bastard…you have been judged and found wanting!"

_Crunch! Squueeeeeellch!_

A violent thrashing, followed by another death rattle, as the demon king smashed in the face of the one the Code-Bearer who controlled this Phantasm World, continuing his brutal assault until the body was reduced to bloody stains and scraps of meat.

_Flash!_

V.V.'s remains disappeared, with his body reappearing some distance away, this time wielding a sword of exorcism, listening for approach of the Wraith of Vengeance.

_Poof!_

But it was useless, with Avenger copying the immortal's ability to disappear and reappear at will to fade from sight and appear—immediately behind him, slamming his knee into V.V.'s unprotected back, flipping the boy around to face the demon and forcing him to the ground, following his motion with a flurry of cuts.

_Slice slice slice!_

The cuts were very clean, so V.V.'s insides wouldn't spill out, only severing arteries and slicing into flesh to cause the most pain, with the color red oozing across the ground.

A shuffling sound, fabric on wetness.

Avenger turned his eyes upon his foe, sneering at his impotent attempt to flee, to crawl away.

_Stomp!_

A powerful shadowed foot was slammed into the young immortal's face, with veins of shadow forcing themselves into V.V. in the same way that the little boy had tried to corrupt C.C. earlier, the sheer agony of it like nothing the boy had experienced before, rendering him immobile, so he could do naught but look up at the face of one he tried to kill, at the glowing red orbs shining with malevolence—the only thing he could see in the dimming world.

"No…I…" V.V. choked out, body convulsing as the inky darkness crawled into him, ripping through his body, violating his mind, his soul, his—for the first time in his life, the once proud immortal found himself begging, body quivering in fear at the closeness of this terrible power. He couldn't escape. More than that, he…he… "No, please…I…I don't…"

In that instant, Avenger smiled warmly.

"I want to kill you."

A simple, efficient movement, and the demon pierced the Code-bearer's throat, severing his jugular, as the stain creeps towards Avenger's feet, pushed onward by the outflowing blood. Like tar, it forms a thread connecting the blood to the murderer, connecting this Wraith of Vengeance to his victim, to the ones to reap the crop of their many sins.

"You…you are…" came the weak voice of the immortal reeling from this impending death. This was merely one vessel for him, a pawn, part of an intricate trap to eliminate a threat to his existence once and for all, but why…why…

"I am Avenger," the demon whispered almost…intimately, his razor sharp teeth glinting in the harsh firelight as he knelt down and touched the blood flowing on the ground with his fingers, streaking the viscous ichor across his lips in a smear of red. It dripped down his lips as his body trembled unwillingly in ecstasy, shaking as he laughed as if to revel in the sensation of a wondrous kill. "Sworn Knight of Zero…"

On hearing that name, what was left of V.V.'s consciousness recoiled, eyes widening almost imperceptibly as he realized the true nature of his adversary—not a Code-bearer, nor a Servant—but the reason why there was a taboo on direct confrontations between Code-Bearers to begin with.

'_Avenger…the anti-existence of Code-bearers, the primal, uncontrolled nature of Eden Vital given form, the forbidden class which has absorbed suffering, grief, despair, all the evils of the world and more. So the Witch actually summoned…'_

Although it pained him to do so (as it meant that his plan to slay the Witch here and gain her Code for himself would be a failure), the eternally young boy released his seal on the Grey Witch's Code, knowing that it was his only chance to save his wretched hide.

"You are an abomination, child of Marianne, just like that—"

_Zhoom! FWHOOSH!_

Elsewhere in the room, a sigil of crimson red blazed into existence once again on the forehead of the Reaper in White, resonating with that on V.V.'s body as the twin Codes warred for dominance, with the little boy taking advantage of Avenger's momentary lapse in attention (drawn away by the glow) to _push_ the other away with the full might of his Code, forcing a one-time purge of the shadow from his body as he floated into the air, using his Code's power as a shield.

_Shuffle!_

Seeing the change, the Assassins took an instinctive step back-but it was too late.

Time reversed. The fatal attack from earlier, now nearly having consumed the Counter-Guardian, was rendered useless, the thorns purged by a divine protection almost on the level of a miracle, as the World of C restored its avatar, power surging through the Grey Witch once more. The power of the Code, above any normal Servant, marked the crimson sigil flaring as strength returned to her limbs and bloody blades dissolved to nothingness.

"Nyaaa!" the wraiths of Bradley roared as one, redoubling their onslaught-only to find it utterly ignored, as the Reaper in White raised her scythe.

"_**Amenonuhoko!" **_a harsh contralto intoned, and with those words, C.C.'s personal Noble Phantasm roared with fury once more, a maelstrom of ice, wind, and rainbow light blazing outwards, with runes and lines converging and spinning—then erasing the shadows that she fought, as well as the concept of existence of wraith Bradley.

In the aftermath of this destruction, the Reaper in White strode over to her Champion almost casually, giving him a sidelong glance before turning the full force of her glare on V.V.

"An abomination, was it?" Zero questioned, holding her scythe in a stance that indicated she was ready to deal further damage if necessary. "It's over V.V…your plan had failed."

"Oh, have I, you eyesore?" the rogue immortal spat, careful to keep his distance from the scythe as he hopped onto a floating gear. "I may not have managed to claim your Code as I wished, no thanks to your pet demon—"

The boy shuddered at how close he had come to death, or worse, being taken over by that _thing_ that the foul Witch had summoned (for he would not dignify the Wraith of Vengeance by calling it a Servant, not when it was the antithesis of everything a Code represented).

"—but here and now, our powers are evenly matched," V.V. finished, glaring at the green-haired witch, the counter guardian that had stood in his way for entirely too long. "You may have your Code again, as well as your so-called Knight, but I still have the false gate under my sway. You still cannot escape this world, unless I so choose, no more than you can kill me."

Avenger growled at this, itching to lunge at V.V. once more, but found a firm hand on his shoulder, gently restraining him as the Wraith of Vengeance repressed his urge to destroy as he turned to the Reaper in White, his fierce gaze softening ever so slightly.

"With both Codes unsealed once more, your power alone will not be great enough to overcome him…not when he has the advantage of the gate," C.C. cautioned, nodding once at her Servant. "So what took you so long?"

"Certain…necessary affairs," the voice of the demon whispered silkily, with the raven-haired prince wanting nothing more than to destroy the one who had hurt C.C., who had killed his mother, who had basically been responsible for all the suffering inflicted upon him in one form or another. "What is thy bidding, my immortal witch?"

"_The false gate that our enemy speaks of is the girl crucified on the black gear,"_ Zero spoke into Avenger's mind, taking advantage of their unique bond for this privileged communication. _"Can you find a way to seal off this power?"_

"_Certainly, if that is your wish, my dear witch,"_ Avenger said, spreading his shadowy wings as he lifted into the air once more, his corrupted form shooting up towards the pink-haired girl, who convulsed and trembled in place as her body was abused as an unwitting channel for the World of C's darkness. _'For am I not your sword?"_

_Whoom! Whoom! Bzzt!_

"Insolent— _**Gate of Illusory Memories**_," V.V. spat, attempting to materializing a copy of C.C.'s weapon in his hands as the blond boy launched himself at the foul Servant, intending to stop him with a single blow, but—

_Clang!_

—was stopped in midair by the Reaper in White, who met him weapon to weapon, original to copy, as the two scythe-wielders clashed.

"You damned faker," groused Zero, attacking with a flurry of strikes, icy fire pulsing in her weapon as she struck once-twice-thrice and—

_Crash!_

—shattered the scythe in V.V.'s hands, causing the eternally young boy to flinch as white-hot shards of metal burned their way into his flesh, with the boy hastily tracing another copy of the scythe out of thin air.

"The power to materialize illusions…as expected as a power derived from the gate," C.C. noted, eyeing the copy of _**Amenonuhoko**_ warily. "And yet…an inferior illusion is only a delusion."

"Tch, what do you know, abomination?ǃ"

_Crunk!_

V.V. pushes off from a gear and races for the Grey Witch, slamming down his scythe with the intent to kill, but C.C.'s weapon was already prepared, sweeping through the air to counter as if she had expected this maneuver, as the same weapons and techniques clash!

_Clang! Crash! Bang!_

Time after time V.V.'s weapons continue to break, the attacks he tried to block breaking through as Zero's frozen scythe swept at him from the side.

"Ha—guh!"

V.V. twists his body to dodge it, but it still slashes him. It's not fatal but—

'_The wounds from earlier are… not healing?'_

"Wha—how are—"

He is forced to resort to a more basic weapon, the _**Areadbhar, **_a spear that does not shatter under the blows as he constantly reinforces it with magical energy, yet is not powerful enough to hold back his enemy's attacks.

"For an immortal, you are naïve," Zero noted, every inch of her scythe blazing with molten power as she struck out at the boy, intending to decapitate him here, only—

_Gong!_

—to crash against a spear of red, as V.V. desperately tried to keep the Reaper from claiming his life…and thus, his Code.

'_Possibly even to give it to her pet demon so they can reign in eternity…as if I would allow that woman's son eternity!'_

"Did you think our weapons equal?" the Reaper in White asked casually, letting a cruel smirk come over her features. "Your assumptions were naïve…an illusion only matches the original if one truly understand what one is trying to copy!"

A thrust to the crotch—no, a slash across the chest, as—

"_**Aread—**_

_Crack!_

—_**bhar!"**_

The demonic spear was hurled at the Reaper in an attempt to activate its power as a Noble Phantasm—but to no avail, as it was shattered before the invocation was complete, with Zero taking advantage of V.V.'s opening to lash at him with a whip of light, slamming the younger immortal into his moving gear wall hard enough to shatter it.

"And you still think you can stop me, V.V., with your stolen techniques, your illusions?"

High above the ground, Avenger touched down upon the massive floating cog on which the unseeing form of Anya was crucified, blinking as he recognized the suffering girl.

'_Wasn't she…the girl sent to Aries Villa to learn etiquette? V.V. will pay for all that he has done…'_

He could feel the same corruption within the false Gate as others ascribed to himself, a cloak of suffering and despair, of shadow and flame, but something else…a deep terror and revulsion at the self.

'_She didn't choose this…'_ he thought, reaching out to her bonds as—

_Screams. Injections. Shadows. Pain, old but not healing, sores blights wounds of battle left to fester and burn with infection burn red in agonizing writhing pain mercilessly eating entrails all consumer envenomed. Fever sometimes, delirium at others, but no treatment, no drugs, no morphine. Sweet release forbidden only pain from cat-o-nine tails, pain from lash, pain from chains of silver-steel, manacles raw and chafing at the wrists. Headache, gnawing pangs, upset stomach, sore throat, congestion dizzy nausea. Hunger, groaning, gaping void empty movement churning on the cauldron on and on death. Insides burning, writhing, try to moan, try to groan but mouth too dry to speak. Laughter, quiet laughter, mocking echoes._

—the Wraith of Vengeance recoiled from the shock images of the past and present, the turmoil boiling over in the Knight of Six's mind as—

"So have you come to kill her to claim freedom for yourself?" the voice of V.V. spoke contemptuously from the lips of Anya Alstreim. "How fitting for one who claims to speak for the suffering of others, but in reality is a demon that will do anything for his own sake. But then, you are the monument to sin, are you not?"

'_Mind calls to mind, soul calls to soul…'_ the demon voiced mentally, summoning one of his gunblades so as to cut the straps that bound, _snip-snip_ revealing wrists and ankles chafing and bleeding from Anya's struggles.

"Or do you, a demon, think that you can save her?" the rogue immortal taunted, as Avenger continued his work, one of his scarred, tattooed hands gently brushing the hair from Anya's cheek as he looked into her glazed, unseeing eyes.

'_I kill, yet I give life. I injure, and I heal…there are none who escape from my hand, none who escape from my eyes,'_ the Wraith of Vengeance subvocalized, reaching out to the shadow within Anya with the full might of his burning will, mentally pulling it to him, as the girl writhed and whimpered, still unconscious.

"Do you see? All you can do is bring suffering to others," the lips moved once more, with V.V.'s voice spilling out from it, mockingly. "If you break my connection with her, then the girl will die, overloaded by the darkness in the World of C. I am all that is keeping Anya Alstreim alive and her mind intact. Are you willing to kill an innocent, to take away that which is so precious to you mortals just to escape this place? Better she remains alive and well as a tool for the realization of my gentle world."

Avenger grit his teeth at this, his mind tracing the path of the shadow's corruption, and its link to V.V.'s Code as he teased and pulled and pried at it, insinuating tendrils of his own inky darkness into the girl as he sucked up the corruption within her, as if to bear it as he did all the evils of the world.

"You know what I think, V.V.?" the Servant asked, leaning down and breathing in the shadow, channeling it through his fingers as he drew a set of runes upon the girl's exposed skin, listening for—and hearing—a distinctive catch of breath. "I think your gentle world is gentle only to you, that you, who speak of building a world without lies, are in fact lying to yourself. And so you call what you have done to this girl keeping her alive, when you have stripped of all meaning, all hope? You don't call an endless aggregation of not dying, 'life'. That is merely experience."

'_Hmm…still, I don't want to kill her, so…'_

"You have suffered for too long, Anya," the demon murmured, looking at her sadly. "Let me free you from your pain…"

Linking. Linking. Linking. False Gate and True joining as one in mind, seeking what had harmed her, seeking what had split her, as...glazed and unseeing eyes became aware, pink eyes staring into red as breathing, shadows, heartbeats synchronized by the power of Avenger's Shadows.

"_**Verg Avesta,"**_ two voices spoke as one, as—

"_**AUUUUUGHHHHHHHHH!"**_

The pain of years upon years of experimentation and abuse was reflected upon V.V. all at once, his grip on Anya's mind loosening as it was distracted by the psychic onslaught—enough for Anya to shake herself free, her will (and Avenger's) tossing the immortal's influence from her mind, becoming aware of her controller.

"_**Gate of Illusory Memories," **_the duo spoke again, as the entire world of gears shattered around them, replaced by the form of the _Mordred_ Knightmare Frame hovering before a pinned down V.V. "Tag, you're dead."

_WHOOSH!_

Light and heat rippled outward from a massive dislocation in space, as the Mordred fired its Stark Hadron Cannon, the red and black ray of destruction lancing out towards the incarnation of V.V. in Anya's mind and utterly destroying him, as a crimson sigil flared—and this projected avatar of V.V.'s form was destroyed at last, the host rejecting the parasite with all her might, erasing him and all that he had wrought in her—memories and all.

_Blink. _Pause. Pause. _Blink._

In the aftermath, Servant and False Gate collapsed against another, with the girl regarding her surroundings warily, shy, as if unsure of who she was, or where she was, for that matter. She had just about enough time to look at the face of the strange being that held her, before soft laughter echoed in the expanse, and all vanished from that battlefield.

* * *

**A/N**: So they escape from the trap, a few interesting facts about a certain Servant are revealed (not that I didn't hint at it heavily already), and Avenger demonstrates that he's not so harmless after all, under the right circumstances. Thanks for reading!


	34. Shrouded Memories

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Undisclosed Location**

Raindrops fell upon a broken land as the heavens raged, attempting to wash away the stain and scent of blood with torrents from above, as bursting cumulonimbus deposits of moisture and pregnant monsoon winds hurled water towards the unflinching ground below. The sound of the deluge mixed with metallic clanks and bangs, gargles, death screams, and sound of flurries of footsteps rushing hither and fro as a battle raged unceasing in a land covered with a miasma of human flesh and flames, the red of minced meat squishing squish squelching underfoot.

_Pitter-patter-pitter-pat. Rumble!_

It was to this scene of carnage that Avenger opened his eyes, a place much like his own Phantasm World might once have been long ago in a city whose proud light had been extinguished as he stood beneath the downpour. But rather than wash away the blood on his hands, he merely stained the sea a crimson red, the moisture amplifying the already nearly overwhelming stench of sweat, blood, and excrement wafting from still warm remnants of terror.

'_The last battle of a bygone age…'_ the Wraith of Vengeance thought to himself, as tousled black hair and robes of blood and fire rustled in the wind, glowing red eyes studying the devastation around him as he recognized the architectural styles here. _'This was…'_

_Crunch! Crunch! Squelch! c_ame the sound of ominous footsteps from behind him, as the Servant turned about in curiosity—to come face to face with a green-haired woman with sad golden eyes, with the Reaper dressed in her flowing white dress with blue underskirt, frozen scythe in hand.

"Since part of your power was unsealed, I suppose it's only fitting that I would find you in this memory, Avenger," Zero murmured softly, sighing as she looked upon a scene that had figured heavily in her nightmares for…oh, the first century or so of her immortal existence.

"This is Atlantis, isn't it?" Avenger replied, the sounds and images almost _familiar_ in a way that he didn't completely understand, but felt had something to do with his little transformation when he had faced off against V.V.'s avatar. "The last day before it sank into the sea?"

"Heh, so you recognize it," C.C. replied, sighing and shaking her head as she looked at Lelouch strangely, even as the air all around began to glow with a reddish phosphorescence—the color of rust and decay. "Yes, this is Atlantis, the land where the first Eden Vital War was fought, where—"

"—the actions of those that fought brought into existence something they could not control," Lelouch finished, turning to look at the great temple complex in the center of the city—and more to the point, to the sickly black mud spreading from it. "Just as you yourself have witnessed in your many years of existence."

The Grey Witch quirked an eyebrow at her Servant's choice of words.

"Interesting that you should use the word 'existence' instead of life, especially since you didn't even consider yourself to be alive until you met me," she commented wryly, eying the man wreathed in shadow and flame almost fondly, as she was wont to do. "But then, existence is an appropriate word, considering that it was this battle in which I ceased to be human, taking the Code…"

_Snap!_

A crisp, pure sound that lacked the menace of the battle in the background, as time spun on, accelerated, with the city shaking beneath their feet, crumbling, cracking apart, sinking beneath the waves as a crimson sigil burned in the sky above, till at last, the two simply stood upon the surface of an vast ocean, with nothing around save moonlight on the churning waves.

"…the destruction of Atlantis was your doing?" Avenger asked after several moments of silence, his cloak of shadow pulling tight around his body as if to ward off some imagined chill or other.

In response, C.C. simply held out her scythe in both hands, looking at it as if she could see all the lives that the weapon had claimed over the years, in all the wars, on all the battlefields which she had fought upon.

"Every human action has unforeseen consequences, many of which are not revealed until it's too late to do anything about them," the immortal murmured in a hushed voice. "Even Code-bearers are not immune to that. When the pieces fall as they may, many times, all we do is deal with the aftermath—as I did, after Irais, a rogue Code-bearer, tried to harness the power of the collective unconscious but only ended up releasing a world's despair, the formless manifestation of the desire for vengeance."

Both of Lelouch's eyebrows shot towards the sky at this little piece of information, as he examined his Champion form's claws of shadow and the similarities between himself and what C.C. had just described.

"I take it this has something to do with why I've been called a demon and an abomination by so many others," the raven-haired prince remarked. "Including most other Servants, for that matter—Rider, Berserker, and Saber at the least—as well as V.V…"

At the _look_ he received from C.C., the Servant merely chuckled.

"Well?"

"You certainly are a troublesome Servant, but I suppose I do owe you a small explanation after you saved my life," Zero noted, rolling her eyes as she straightened, with the ocean around them freezing as a set of giant bronze doors rose from the waves, decorated with eight relief images—these being the seven classes of Servants, as well as an eighth panel inscribed with the sigil of Geass, with manacles and broken chains lying in ruins all about it. "Some time after the fall of Atlantis, the Code-bearers at the time established the system of Champions fighting a ritualized seven-way battle, making direct confrontation between Code-bearers taboo out of a desire not to see human civilization destroyed—again. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, Assassin, Caster—the seven classes, each representing an aspect of Eden Vital mastered by a champion—the candidates to eventually claim a Code."

"…and Avenger?" came the expected question. "Something tells me that that isn't just an alternate choice, as V.V. would not have panicked otherwise, nor started spouting meaningless drivel about abominations."

"Let me ask you a question then, warlock," the Witch intoned, looking at her Servant imperiously. "What should one do when one is faced with an evil that one cannot defeat via means considered just?"

Lelouch looked askance at this, as if the question posed was absurd.

"Quite obviously, one commits evil to destroy the greater evil," Avenger answered sardonically, looking at the scythe. "A notion that I'm sure you agree with, my dear grim Reaper."

"Which makes you appropriate to be what you are, wielder of Absolute Retribution," C.C. replied quietly, looking pointedly at the image of the manacles and broken chains. "Your power is the manifestation of the world's despair and suffering given form, standing in utter opposition to the other Servants and mostly sealed by the existence of the twin Codes. Is it any wonder then, that you are called…."

"A demon," Lelouch acknowledged with a wry twist of his lips as he looked into the Witch's golden eyes. "Though the truth of what a person is cannot be measured by appearances or identity, only one's actions."

Hearing this, C.C. rewarded the exiled prince with a soft smile, even as she flicked his forehead gently.

"You do remember who you're talking to, right?" the immortal half-chided, as Lelouch laughed gently. "I don't exactly look like an immortal witch, now do I? Or for that matter, the being that so many have cursed and feared over the millennia—scythe aside, of course?"

"And knowing what you do of me, you still wish to stay by my side?" Zero asked, extending a hand to her Servant, which Avenger took, kissing the knuckles, as was expected of a knight to a lady.

"By all rights, I could be called a demon…or perhaps a warlock," the exiled prince whispered slyly, bringing the hand to his cheek. "And if so, what place can there be for me except by your side?"

"…and you wonder why you are slowly gathering fangirls," C.C. murmured fondly as the two stood under the liquid light of the moon. "But if you insist, you may stay by my side to the very end. After all, you are sworn to me, are you not?"

"Indeed," the Wraith of Vengeance smirked. "For I am Avenger, the demonic Knight of Zero, my body and fate bound to your will."

"Very well then, Avenger," returned the Reaper in White. "Then I will accept your oath under the name of C.C., Reaper in White, Code-bearer, and Empress Regnant of Atlantis…once called Caren Cybele Ortensia."

"Is that finally your true name?" Avenger asked somewhat petulantly. "Or yet another alias?"

"Why should it matter? After all, I've proved what I am by action alone, have I not?" she replied cheekily, before relenting at the almost _look_ he gave her. "But…I suppose that saving me is worth that much information. Yes, that is indeed my name, though I would prefer to be called C.C. or Zero, so as not to be confused with your dear Rider, or _Q-1, _I should say."

"…Why, C.C., you almost sound…jealous," Lelouch teased, an amused lilt to his voice as he caressed her fingers. "Are you?"

"What do you think, Servant boy?" came the saucy whisper, as both figures disappeared from this place outside of time.

* * *

**Medical Bay, Stealth Battlecruiser **_**Skeith**_

To say that the crew of the _Skeith_ had been…surprised when the Knightmare Frame _Gawain_ had returned to the hanger, towing a heavily damaged _Shen Hu_ would be somewhat of an understatement, with that shock compounded when it took off once more, only to return with a powerless _Mordred, _with the Ashford heir bearing orders to reengage stealth systems while the world below was erupting in flames.

'_So…Zero not only managed to defeat two Knights of the Round, but fought the third to a draw,'_ most of them seemed to think, a belief that Milly Ashford didn't deign to correct, as it was more or less true, since the Grey Witch _had _singlehandedly held off three Knights of the Round, giving the _Skeith _the opportunity to destroy the flagship of the Britannian Prime Minister…an accomplishment that none of the Black Knights could have dreamed of only a year ago. Avenger had played a major part in the operation as well, but the details behind his execution of the High Eunuchs, or his role in allowing the Britannians to flee the hall, were not well known—only that he had collapsed shortly after retrieval from the reception hall from unknown causes.

In the wake of success, while the troops were high on morale and were assisting with sweeping any Eunuch – loyal forces from the air, it had been easy enough to arrange for a few assistants to help transport the unconscious forms of Avenger and Zero to the on-board infirmary, with Milly taking care of the transporting (and straitjacketing) the Knight of Six herself, as she did not want to cause _too_ much of a stir (and given that the blonde was known for being Avenger's personal assistant, public and private, she had more leeway than her post of communications officer would let on).

'_Things seem to be going well back at Area 11 as well, from what reports we've been getting,'_ the blonde mused, while watching over the three unconscious individuals. While she knew that Avenger was in phantasmagoria again, assisting Zero as her sword (or rather, her "knight", Milly thought), she wondered what had become of Zero, finding that even as she removed shrapnel and cleaned Zero's wounds, apparently sustained in the _Shen Hu_'s crash, that the wounds were already closing, disappearing in minutes. _'That's…almost unbelievable. Kallen did call her a witch, and Lelouch respects her as his master, so I wonder what other abilities Zero might be hiding…'_

"Uuunghh," came a low moan from one of the beds, as Anya Alstreim regained consciousness, her wide pink eyes darting to and fro as she took in her surroundings, the poor girl seeming frightened of something.

"Where am I?" the petite Knight of Six asked quietly, in a shaky, childish tone that made it difficult for Milly to picture the girl as the pilot of the _Mordred_. "Who are you? This isn't the Aries Villa…"

The Ashford heir was not sure of just what to say, but fortunately, she didn't have to say anything, as Zero roused from her unconscious state, swinging herself up into a sitting position, her gaze instantly fixed on a bound and cowering Anya.

With a sigh, Zero got up and padded over to bed where a shaken Anya Alstreim lay, stretching her hand over the young girl's forehead as a crimson sigil flared, illuminating both their forms for an instant.

"I see…it's as I thought might happen when she rejected V.V.'s power," the immortal muttered to herself, reaching to the back of her helmet and pressing a hidden button.

_Hiss!_

A momentary sound,and then the back of the helmet retracted, falling forward into C.C's waiting hand, as the Grey Witch shook out her long green hair, Anya's eyes fixing on her.

"Lady…C.C.?" the Knight of Six asked almost in a whisper, sniffing as if she was about to cry. "It's awful, Lady C.C….Lady Marianne was…Lady Marianne was…"

As the once stoic Anya broke down in quiet sobs, the Grey Witch just walked over to her, undoing a few of the bindings on the straitjacket so that she could give the terrified girl a hug, stroking the teenager's spine as she held the girl's head on her shoulder.

"I know. I know," the immortal whispered soothingly into the Knight's ear as a sad expression appeared on the Witch's face as well. "But you're safe, and I'm glad. No one will hurt you here, isn't that right, A.A.?"

Had anyone else walked in at the moment, they would no doubt be surprised to see Zero (revealed to be a strikingly attractive green-haired woman apparently younger than most of the Black Knights) comforting a Knight of Rounds, as if the two knew one another well.

"A.A.?" Anya repeated, blinking up at the older woman, her puzzled face streaked with tears. "But my name is…my name is…I…I don't… I've... forgotten everything. Every single thing…every…."

_Sob! Hic! Sniffle!_

"You don't remember, do you?" the immortal replied, shaking her head gently, as she stroked the girl's head. "But it's going to be alright, A.A…its going to be alright. I'll protect you from V.V."

A soft crimson glow emanated once more, and slowly, slowly, young Anya cried herself to exhaustion, with Zero looking over her, a distant expression on her face as she soothed the girl, dulling the pain and helping her to relax and eventually sleep.

Warmth, and a gentle pressure squeezing her shoulder.

C.C. looked back to find that Avenger had placed a reassuring hand there as he looked at Anya with a deep sense of mingled anger and grief.

"Tell me, C.C., why did…?"

"It's because she witnessed Lady Marianne's murder," the Grey Witch said unsteadily, jaw set with grim determination. "V.V. couldn't afford to leave any witnesses, so he took her and experimented on her, turning her into a psychic weapon to use against me."

Hearing this, Milly walked up to the pair, noting the way they were so…close to one another, how comfortable they were with secrets and a shared past.

'_So she's the one who danced with Lelouch that night…she's…beautiful in an almost unearthly way…but she seems so…young without the mask.'_

"So you know who killed Lady Marianne then?" the blonde asked of Zero, who nodded, frowning ever so slightly. "It wasn't terrorists, I take it?"

"No," the immortal replied simply. "It was my enemy, the one who laid a trap for me here, the twin brother and greatest supporter of Charles zi Britannia, the immortal named V.V."

"Immortal…so he's like you?" Milly hazarded a guess, remembering the way C.C.'s wounds had healed.

A shake of the head and soft laughter.

"No…he's much younger, a foolish brat who seeks to create a world without lies," C.C. answered at last, thoroughly annoyed at the younger immortal. "He thinks that if masks will vanish, then everyone can be exactly who they're supposed to be, without struggling against one another. And yet he lies to himself about what his duty should be, to those who trust him on a daily basis, to all around as he plots and connives. But his utopia is a fallacy…because dreams too, are lies of a sort, hopes, faith. And in his world, there would be no dreams, no surprise, no joy at the unexpected, no need for trust, that most valuable of things…there would be no tomorrow, only yesterday. If the world is stripped of these things, stagnating, one could hardly call that life at all…just as one could hardly call my long existence life."

Milly and Lelouch both raised an eyebrow at this.

"Don't misunderstand me," the Grey Witch chided, seeing the expressions on the faces. "I don't have a death wish—I've just lived long enough to see ideals betrayed, to see the ends of this…stagnation. To see that V.V. is a liar in both purpose and deed. I may wear a physical mask, but at least I am honest about my intentions, which in the end are what reveal a being's truth. Believe me when I say that to remove the world's masks will only end in the ruin for us all…just as V.V.'s and Charles' quest has already cost the two—no, three of you so much."

'_Just as Mao, using his Geass to reveal hidden truths, awakened old feuds and bloodshed, causing only destruction in his malicious innocence…' _the immortal thought to herself, glancing at Anya and then to the two others in the room with her.

"Its a lot to take in," Milly answered after a few moments. "First to learn that there are immortals, and then that an immortal as well as Emperor himself are your personal enemies. And then there's the business with the Knight of Six..."

"More meddling by V.V.," Avenger intoned, quiet anger lending an _edge_ to his voice. "So many have suffered under Britannian rule, but most especially those who have found themselves in V.V.'s path. He and most of the world may call me a demon or a devil, but that just means I'll have to use my hellish powers to stop them once and for all. For what use is a sword, but to slash away my master's enemies?"

"I see you are determined," C.C. remarked, harrumphing softly.

"Of course, my immortal witch," the Wraith of Vengeance rejoined. "I was ready the moment I accepted our contract."

"Very good, my warlock," C.C. replied with a sigh, before turning to Milly. "What's the condition of the _Shen Hu _and the _Mordred_?"

"Your KMF is fairly damaged and will require time to repair, whereas the _Mordred _is only drained of power at the moment, courtesy of a Gefjun Net," the blonde replied, nodding deferentially to her boss.

"I see," Zero noted, glancing at the Ashford heir and noticing her somewhat frazzled state. "I take you were the one to retrieve them, and to bring all of us here?"

Milly simply nodded.

"Good work, I can see why Avenger respects you so," praised the Grey Witch, smiling faintly. "In any case, we will remain here for a short time while Li Xingke secures the capital, ensuing that popular rebellion looms on every front in the Chinese Federation—and then it will be time to head back to Area 11. If I'm not mistaken, he and Charles will soon be making their move…"

* * *

**Sword of Akasha**

Within the World of C, the immortal V.V. was reeling from the incredible amounts of damage inflicted onto his mind from his last encounter with the damned Grey Witch. True, it hadn't been his full self in that battle, merely a puppet avatar manifested through the power of the false gate's Noble Phantasm (which he had controlled through his link with Anya), but as his mind had been linked with it, feeding back sensory information, it had still been a horrifying experience.

'_That foul witch…she actually summoned _that_, the forbidden class of Servant that is the manifest form of all the evils of the world…'_ he raged, as he busily worked to cleanse himself of remaining mental pollution. _'If I had not used a proxy, then…'_

Even so, despite the precautions, V.V. had come uncomfortably close to being destroyed, his body still shaking with the unpleasant feeling of violation, remembering how tendrils of shadow had pierced his flesh, forcing themselves into his body in an attempt to take him over, to turn him, a Code-bearer, into a mindless wraith. Had he been a mortal…

Shudder.

That was something the boy would rather not think about, considering how powerful the demon had been in _V.V.'s own Phantasm World_,where the immortal was supposed to have absolute power, backed by the power of the false gate. And yet…

'_That demon killed my avatars again and again with contemptuous ease, copying my most powerful abilities and rendering my counterattacks useless,'_ the eternally young blond recalled none too happily. _'And on top of that, he turned the false gate's vessel against me, forcing her to literally burn my influence from her body. A waste of a perfectly good tool, as that either resulted in her death, or at the very least, the complete destruction of her identity as a human.'_

A rather inconvenient setback, since this ambush had taken a considerable amount of time and effort to set up…and attempting to seal C.C.'s Code was now no longer an option, given that that would only the being called…Avenger to run rampant, and V.V. did not relish another encounter with the ravenous beast, especially without the protection of a proxy.

'_Which makes things problematic, given C.C.'s personal Noble Phantasm that draws from the concept of separation, in other words, a weapon perfectly suited to her existence as the Reaper in White,'_ the immortal thought sourly, remembering how she had simply erased some of his wraiths from existence while without the benefit of a Code. _'Still, at least now I am aware that her weapon is indeed a Noble Phantasm, as well as the fact that she had a…Servant, which is no doubt how she was able to defeat so many others.'_

Immortals, by nature and necessity, tended to be rather secretive, rarely getting involved with one another unless they had a common goal—or found themselves in opposition to one another, mostly because if they were to invoke an Eden Vital War, they did not want their opponents to be able to analyze their actions—or to figure out a way to incapacitate them before a war.

Thus, C.C. and V.V.'s interactions over their years of acquaintance had been rather amicably hostile, with most required dealings handled by one of their contractors (Marianne and Charles, respectively). Still, the boy's association with the Grey Witch had netted certain details, such as that C.C. was a Counter Guardian dedicated to the concept of protecting the collective unconscious from outside interference—and thus, a threat to his own plan of destroying humanity's masks so as to create a world free of lies.

'_Given that I obtained my Code by 'winning' the last Eden Vital War as a Servant, C.C. is all too aware of my abilities and Noble Phantasms…and yet I know next to nothing about hers.'_

Rumors abounded about the role of the Reaper in White throughout history, of what she was able to do and the civilizations she had destroyed, but—there was very little concrete information about her past. As an unpredictable enemy was a dangerous enemy, V.V. had moved to have the Grey Witch eliminated from the great game, having persuaded Prince Clovis to seal the woman in a high-pressure container with the promise of immortality, beginning the ritualized seven-way battle himself.

'_But that damned Witch…'_

It had not been enough. The Grey Witch had escaped confinement and had _dared_ to violate the sanctity of the ritual with that foul creature she called a Servant, one that—living up to its reputation as a spirit of pure evil, had delighted in causing death and destruction on a large scale—as V.V. had witnessed only all too well.

'_The only option then, is to destroy him and then her, which means I will require Charles' assistance. I highly doubt that even the Shadow can survive having his form torn apart to essential atoms, especially when he is not given the benefit of a sealed Code. I suppose the best location to fight would be a Thought Elevator…but first…'_

_Clip-clop-clip-clop!_

The little boy turned about as heavy footsteps echoed, looking up to see Emperor Charles zi Britannia looking somewhat irritated, as usual.

"I trust you have good news, my brother?" the voice of the Emperor growled out into the void.

"Yes," V.V. answered after only a moment's hesitation. "I have discovered that the one hindering our plans was aided by a Servant…Avenger."

"So the masked terrorist was indeed a Servant then? And on top of it, _that_ Servant, the rumored spirit of destruction who feeds off of chaos and despair," Charles' deep bass rumbled, showing signs of displeasure. "How interesting…she is as corrupt as any mortal then."

"Indeed," the young immortal replied, eyes narrowing in anger. "However, while our opponent is a crafty Counter Guardian, a being that has no true attachments and will stop at nothing for victory…perhaps it is possible to lure her demon into a trap where he can be disposed of."

"You have a plan then?" the Emperor pressed, wanting to see results, not mere plans and speculations.

"Yes, I believe so," V.V. said evenly, his eyes drifting to the liquid metal double helix rising from the center of the great eye of above, the weapon designed to kill Gods. "With the ongoing chaos, it should be an easy matter to have the OSI operatives currently present…eliminate a few individuals, particularly those close to the Servants."

"In other words, you plan to draw the remaining Servants into a trap," Charles summarized, having rather expected his brother to take this course of events.

"Yes," V.V. spoke, narrowing his eyes as he regarded the area in which they stood. "C.C. has been very careful to avoid the Thought Elevator network, because she knows that that it is under our control…that you have turned it into your '_Territory_'…and that the area within is patrolled by several Phantasmal Beasts. However, if her Servant is less rational…"

'_Even a monster has a weakness, and as a child of _that woman, _Avenger should be no exception. As I recall, Avenger had a sister…and of course, since the monster is in the Chinese Federation, I will be able to locate and deal with the lesser Servant Rider.'_

"Excellent…I trust your surprises on Kaminejima are prepared?" Caster's voice boomed out.

"Of course…and this time, C.C. has crossed us for the last time."

Darkly ebullient laughter spilled out into the void, as V.V.'s eyes gleamed, the image of the helical spear reflected in them.

* * *

A/N: Does anyone find it interesting how the locations of Thought Elevators correspond to some well known areas in real life, such as the Bermuda Triangle, the Bridgewater Triangle, the Devil's Sea, and some others? Anyway, thanks for reading, and reviews are highly appreciated!


	35. Converging Fates

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Battle over Tokyo Bay**

In the skies above the foam flecked surface of Tokyo Bay, where hundreds of thousands of lives had been claimed due to the sinking of an Imperial fleet, a fierce battle raged, with Knight of Four Dorothea Ernst and her squadrons of Vincent Wards facing off against Kyoshiro Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords (and their squadrons of Sutherland Airs), playing a lethal game of tag and bait and switch in the air, with tracers of light and fire flying back and forth between the constantly shifting battle-lines, punctuated here and there by powerful discharges of madder red or the answering roar of forest green flames.

'_These Sutherland variants are not going down as easily as one would expect. Even if the Vincent Wards are somewhat faster, these Sutherlands have the advantage of those damnable shields…,'_ the Knight of Four groused, even as she powered up the dual Hadron machine guns equipped to her _Gareth_, spitting lethal crimson flares at the oncoming foe—

_Whoosh!_

—a blast that was penetrated by a devastating blast of emerald light that issued from the onrushing Vincent's elbows, as Tohdoh's KMF shot forward with the speed of a meteor, with two maser vibration swords arcing down to slice the Gareth in two—

'_Not that easily, Tohdoh…you're facing a Knight of Rounds!' _

_Whoom! Whoom! Whoom!_

Missiles launched with a dull roar from the _Gareth_'s legs and chest, the vapor trails deceptively elegant in the moonlight as they fanned out—and then converged upon the hapless black and silver Vincent they targeted from all sides—

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

—with the Knight of Four firing her anti-Knightmare autocannons to enhance the force of her countering barrage, forcing her opponent to veer away sharply as he jinked and juked and jived—leading the missiles towards four waiting Gekka units, which drew the missiles away and—

_Hiss! Boom! Boom! Boom!_

—apparently were destroyed, the four frames disappearing from radar in a bloom of smoke and fire, as the Gareth turned to deal with the troublesome—

"Spinning life or death formation!" a harsh voice came over the radio, as the Gareth whirled to find the Four Gekkas soaring out of the haze of the explosions, heated chainswords revved up and ready to slice through armor, ready to destroy a Knightmare or four.

'_I see…they must have deployed anti-radar chaff to confuse the missiles' guidance systems…as expected of elite pilots,'_ the Knight of Four thought, a slow smile of fierce exultation spreading over her lips. _'Perhaps this will actually be something of a challenge.'_

_Whoom! Whoom! Whoom!_

With the hiss-roar of rocket motors flaring, the remaining missiles in the Gareth's launchers were shot out all at once, trajectories twisting in the air as they homed in on the Gekkas, which once again deployed chaff smoke as they peeled away from their target—leaving the black and silver Vincent of Kyoshiro Tohdoh unguarded to surge forward though a hail of hadron blasts, with the green blaze of its close-range energy weapon being used as a makeshift shield—

_Whirr! Crash-crunch! Screeeech!_

—as eight Slash Harkens darted out from the Knight of Four's Knightmare Frame, embedding themselves in the sword arms of the black and silver Vincent and ripping them off with the screech of tearing metal, leaving the Vincent—

_Whirr! Crunch!_

—in a perfect position to launch its own Slash Harkens, the two wire guided projectiles slamming into one of the Gareth's Hadron machine gun arms and crushing into its mechanisms, rendering it inoperable, as the Vincent went into a dive, pulling the _Gareth_ off Balance as—

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

—anti-Knightmare slugs shot out from four descending Gekkas, in a synchronized four way assault that made complete evasion impossible, blowing off one leg, then another, then—

_WHOOSH! _

—though the damaged Gareth was still not to be underestimated, as its second Hadron machine gun was still in proper working condition, a wave of light and heat continuously firing, the beam wavering in the air—

_BOOM! Whirr! Whirr!_

—and vaporizing one of the Gekkas assaulting it, as its Slash Harkens targeted two others, and _crunch-crunch-screech_, the projectiles tore into two more frames, ripping apart a cockpit and float unit from one, while only the sword arm from another.

'_Two down…three hostiles remaining…' _Dorothea Ernst mused, calculating her chances of victory in this matchup. _'Interesting tactics, though they seem more used to ground-based combat, as this synchronized four way attack of theirs _is_ avoidable in the air.'_

_Whomp-hiss!_

Pressing a button, the Knight of Four ejected her unit's disabled arm, freeing the Gareth of its entanglement with Tohdoh's frame.

"Damn, she killed Asahina and Senba!" cursed Nagisa Chiba from within her Gekka unit, witnessing the carnage that the Gareth had wrought on their supposedly "unavoidable" combination attack. "Your orders, Colonel Tohdoh?"

Within the black and silver Vincent, Tohdoh retracted his unit's harkens, releasing the now ejected arm of the Gareth as he considered his options. With the loss of the Vincent's arms, the only weapons he had remaining were his Slash Harkens—which were somewhat limited in usefulness when up against an opponent against an opponent with far more, plus autocannon and hadron machine gun.

'_Urabe's unit remains undamaged, unlike the others…Nagisa's no longer has its sword arm, and mine is limbless…'_

"Chiba, Urabe, deploy chaff smoke and close in," the leader of the Four Holy Swords directed, while sighing that he himself would have to be the bait in this trap. "I will distract the Knight of Four."

With that, the man called Tohdoh of Miracles swung his KMF about to face his opponent, applying full power to the float system, launching Slash Harkens aimed for the leg and torso of the oversized frame in front of him.

_Whirr! Whirr!_

But they hit nothing as the Gareth pulled back, back back, shoulder-mounted machine cannons discharging rounds of shrapnel that took off a leg, then a wing of the Vincent's float system, forcing the so-called Tohdoh of Miracles to eject from his frame.

_Hiss!_

Smoke filled the area, confounding the Knight of Four's sensors for a moment, and wary of an ambush from behind, Dorothea Ernst commanded her unit to dive towards the ocean, using the Gareth's one remaining hadron machine gun to fire straight downwards.

_FSHH—WHOOOSH! CRACKLE CRACKLE HISSS!_

A ribbon of blood red incandescence lanced out from the hadron cannon towards the bubbling waters of Tokyo Bay, which had just recently been the site of a catastrophic methane hydrate release—the incredible light and heat _igniting _the upwelling methane.

_FLASH—BOOM!_

The result: a massive explosion, as the air and water itself was turned into a weapon, heat and light and turbulence going off the charts, with Knightmares, friendly and enemy alike, losing control as they were tossed and turned by shockwaves, weapons being fired in panic, doing indiscriminate damage that the rebels were only slightly more shielded against.

Below, the sea was a raging inferno, an unbroken sheet of fire, with tongues of flame rising hundreds of feet into the air over where the methane release kept on outgassing, illuminating this hell on earth where Knightmares collided with Knightmares, ships with ships, machinery with the surface of the sea, as the combatants remaining spiraled out of control.

_Thunk! Fshhhh! Creeecchh—BOOM!_

Dorothea Ernst's frame was no exception, badly battered as it involuntarily hurtled into the readied edge of a heated chainsword, the teeth of the sawlike blade biting into the armor of the Gareth and slicing through it with a metallic hiss, cockpit block and all, as the Knight of Four made her final move, overloading the hadron gun in her unit's remaining arm and taking the swordsman ambusher with her to a fiery grave, as a sphere of destruction bloomed over the sea, reducing both units to sparks and shadows.

'_So this is the face of victory…'_

The only survivor of that battle was Kyoshiro Tohdoh, whose escape pod, though buffeted by winds and waves and fierce turbulence, managed to fly clear of the killing field, where victory was won, but a heavy price paid.

**

* * *

**

**Bridge, Aerial Battleship **_**Avalon**_

After the defeat of Knight of One Bismarck Waldstein and the destruction of the _Corbenik_ by rebel elements presumably led by Zero and the Governor General of Area 11, what remained of the forces under Bismarck's command had panicked, with formations breaking as the surviving combatants lost coordination and simply fired off ordinance randomly to buy them time to flee for safety—only for the _Avalon _and its escorts to wipe the Britannian forces from existence with a deadly hail of missiles and sweeps of the Hadron Cannon.

Rider (in the guise of Zero) had observed this impassively, watching silently from the bridge of the _Avalon_ after her retrieval by a knightmare VTOL dispatched from said ship, while many of the crew members looked at her with awe…and not a little intimidation. It wasn't exactly every day that someone managed to defeat the greatest (and supposedly most dangerous) Knight of the Empire, and the fact that she had done so (in addition to others knowing of the mysterious powers that she wielded), tended to make her seem a figure beyond humanity.

'_Which is exactly how I look at Zero most of the time, now that I think about it, so I suppose turnabout is fair play,'_ Kallen noted with a twinge of bitterness. _'And with this exchange of roles, with 'Zero' gaining the credit for these victories and powers, it means that at the very end, when this war is over, I can return to a normal life.'_

"My congratulations on your victory, Earl Asplund. It appears that you are a more capable commander than Britannia ever gave you credit for," Rider said out loud, watching as the last remnants of the largest branch of the invading force tried to cut and run—only to be destroyed without hesitation or mercy.

Surrender had been offered, but the enemy's chain of command had been broken, and for some reason the Britannian forces believed that the demon Zero was out to kill them all, and so they had fought to the last man, spending lives like water for no real effect. In a way, Kallen pitied them—not that it stopped her from doing what was necessary.

"Hohoho, they will rue the day they decided to stick me with all the paperwork," the Governor General replied, a gleeful expression on his face as the Hadron Cannon's beams cleansed the sky. "And thank _you,_ Zero. Without you, we couldn't possibly have collected so much interesting data!"

"Don't mention it," Rider remarked, finding herself thankful for the mask of Zero, which served to conceal her amused expression. "As for more data, with the defeat of this armada, our next step should be to return to Tokyo Settlement, correct?"

The Earl tilted his head, squinting as he considered the best strategy to proceed with.

"Our Knightmare squadrons are intact, but…" Lloyd allowed with a shrug, clearly considering another course of action. "We still need more data on the Sutherland Air variants—and the new arm being installed on your Guren needs testing."

"You had a replacement radiant wave surger aboard?" Kallen asked, glancing at the Earl of Pudding with more than a hint of skepticism. "I didn't think that Rakshata trusted you not to tamper with that."

Lloyd's face soured slightly at the mention of his archrival's name, as it brought back some rather bitter memories of competition and heartbreak from long ago.

"No…I don't have a radiant wave surger, unfortunately," the white-haired man admitted, pushing up the glasses that had been sliding down his nose. "It's a pity, since Rakshata's rough prototypes leave something to be…"

Realizing that Innis was not quite interested in his thoughts of Rakshata's technology (and having learned the pain of angering dangerous women he worked with), the Governor General decided to return to a more relevant line of thought.

"Right…the new arm has an inbuilt VARIS cannon, as well as a Blaze Luminous generator, Harken Booster and a set of five Radiant Wave missiles," the Earl said at last, smiling at this triumphant development in technology, something he'd been working on as a complement to the left arm of the Guren. "I've also taken the liberty of replacing your Air Glide Wing pack and forkknife with—working models, since our dear Rakshata _did _see fit to leave me with some of those."

"You have a better idea than returning to the Settlement?" Rider asked, slightly curious as to what went on in the man's mind.

'_I suppose that since Euphie is doing most of the actual governing, Earl Asplund can afford to be more eccentric. Then again, almost every Britannian noble or royal that I've encountered has had some eccentricities, so I suppose that would make Euphie the exception, rather than Lloyd, though I doubt the other nobles would enjoy being compared to our Earl of Pudding.' _

"As a matter of fact, I do," the Governor General replied, his eyes positively glowing with delight at the thought in his head. "However, if you wish to return to the Tokyo Settlement, the Guren can be transferred to the aerial cruiser _Canoel _for the journey, while the rest of the Armada heads…for Pendragon."

Behind the mask of Zero, Rider's eyes bulged out in shock.

'_I know that in history, the capture of an enemy capital usually means victory, but the Governor General seriously intends to…'_ But Rider's thoughts trailed off as she looked at the expression on Lloyd Asplund's face, with the man looking eager and confident in his creations. _'And we've already beaten the Empire's greatest Knights here, so all we will be facing is the home garrison, since most of their army is committed on the EU front…wait…this might just work.'_

"Your plan has merit, Governor General Asplund," Kallen noted approvingly. "And while I appreciate the offer, I feel that it would be in our best interests to have the flotilla continue on to Pendragon."

'_With this Guren, with the Avalon…we can win. We've already defeated the Knight of One, now…we just need to get rid of an Emperor…'_

* * *

**Battle over Tokyo Settlement**

In the wake of the mutual destruction of Tamaki's squadron of Knightmares and the Knight of Nine's _Aquila_, the battle in the skies above the Tokyo Settlement had only redoubled in ferocity, with the Black Knights and their allies in their Sutherland Airs falling upon the enemy's Vincents with a frenzied determination, while the Britannian forces rallied in a desperate effort to stave off defeat.

'_If we can win here, if we can capture the capital of Area 11 and neutralize sub-viceroy Euphemia li Britannia, then we can finish this rebellion once and for all,'_ thought Knight of Twelve Monica Kruszewski, as her startlingly blue eyes studied the tactical map from within the cockpit of her _Parsifal_, a green and gold unit similar to the Knight of Ten's _Percival_, but with the addition of miniature proximity missiles that could be launched from chest and hips. _'Still, I never expected that our opponents would be so well equipped, their Knightmares and ships possessing the advanced shielding technology that remains uncommon among our own forces.'_

For that matter, the deceptively gentle looking blonde had not expected there to be pilots capable of challenging a Knight of Rounds in a provincial Area—only to find her expectations thrown out the window when first the Knight of Nine had been killed, and now, when she found herself under attack by two advanced Knightmare Frames, the _Lancelot_ prototypes that had paved the way for Seventh Generation Knightmare technology.

_Blam! Blam! Blam!_

—a flurry of black and red bolts streaked through the sky as the _Parsifal _soared, using its hadron blasters to distract squadrons of Sutherland Airs, while missiles shot from her shields to surge towards the enemy, leaving white trails in the darkness of the night as they sought targets.

_Boom! Boom!_

Here and there, a flight of Vincents managed to get behind a squad of Sutherland Airs, attacking float units and weak points, though the enemy soon began to counter this with a massive onslaught of Chaos Mines, an attack that the Vincents could only dodge, seeing as they did not have the benefits of Blaze Luminous shielding.

_Fzzzt! Whirr—Smash!_

Other times, Vincents managed to close in and use their Needle Blazer weapons to neutralize the shields of their opponents, though they usually found that the brief moment needed for that left them vulnerable—with many Vincents destroyed or damaged by Harken Boosters during that time.

_Clang! Screeech! _

Movement was impeded by one of only two units capable of matching the _Parsifal's_ speed in the air, with the Lancelot Club parrying the other units whirling force-shield drill-lance with its maser vibration sword, while firing a green particle blast from the VARIS into the _Parsifal's_ shield/missile launcher at point blank range, destroying it.

_Whoomp!_

Said sound accompanied the launch of miniature proximity missiles fired from the chest and hips of the Knight of Twelve's KMF, leaving purple trails in the air as they raced for the Lancelot Club, with most striking—and detonating harmlessly on—the shields, but some striking legs or exploding near the face, shaking it loose once again as—

_Thunk! Fshhhh! Creeecchh!_

—the _Parsifal's _arms, including the primary armament, the drill lance, were sliced from the frame's body by an attack from behind.

'_What?ǃ'_

With a burst of speed, the Knight of Twelve did the only thing possible, sprinting forwards through the air towards the Lancelot Club, firing Hadron blasters at maximum rate, while launching all three Slash Harkens simultaneously, unloading a merciless barrage on the one who had dared to attack her.

'_If I can eliminate this one, when it will be down to just one enemy…'_

_Blam! Blam! Blam! Whirr! Whirr! Crunch!_

While the enemy unit fell back, it was forced to use its shields to protect itself from the Hadron blasts, allowing the Slash Harkens to find their targets, as a VARIS Rifle and part of a float unit were destroyed, the miniature explosions behind the shields sending the Lancelot Club careening away, gradually dropping, with a flurry of black and red bolts streaking after it, blowing off arms, legs, the unit's head and—

_Thunk!_

—a maser vibration sword slammed through the cockpit of the _Parsifal _from behind, its quickly oscillating blade slicing through the rear armor and cutting the Knight of Twelve in two.

"Ugh…damn!" the blonde croaked out, the weapons of her unit firing one last time, converged on the shell of the Lancelot Club, the enemy before her, so as to at least destroy one of the enemy's top devicers—

_Blam! Blam! BOOM! _

—and in answer, black and red bolts surged from the hadron blasters, destroying all that remained of the Lancelot Club—except for the cockpit, which managed to eject just in time and took only cosmetic damage as it soared into the grounds of the Government Bureau, protected by a squadron of Sutherland Airs that moved to defend the Director of Camelot, using their harken cables to guide it to a gentle rest.

Once on the ground, a blue-haired woman emerged and was quickly escorted inside the Government Bureau by a detachment of Black Knights under the command of Kaname Ohgi, who had been assigned to protect the building from an incursion by hostile Britannian forces. Being Black Knights (and thus, mostly Elevens) instead of the original security detail, they proved more difficult to blend in with than OSI had anticipated, as the infiltrators who had tried had quickly being exposed and executed.

'_Zero does want this rebellion to succeed so that Japan will be independent,' _Ohgi thought to himself, '_because she wishes the destruction of Britannia. She will lead us to victory in the end…I trust her.'_

No mean feat, to trust someone who always wore a mask, but Zero's results could be very very persuasive at times.

As for Cecile Croomy, once inside the building, she had proceeded onward along the well known route to the Governor General's office, where Princess Euphemia li Britannia stood looking over the streams of tactical information coming in from the many fronts, being challenged—and being allowed to pass, several times before the Director of Camelot finally arrived at her destination.

"Princess Euphemia," the scientist greeted with a bow, as was proper protocol. Since Lloyd didn't follow protocol at all when he could get away with it, someone had to… "How fares the tactical situation?"

The pink haired princess looked up from the map, eyes widening slightly as she laid eyes on the blue-haired woman.

"It looks like Lloyd was able to defeat Bismarck's fleet, and Tohdoh defeated the Knight of Four's," Euphemia li Britannia replied, taking another glance down. "The only remaining conflict is in the in the skies of the settlement."

"Then I suggest you demand the unconditional surrender of any remaining Britannian forces, as we have defeated the Knights of Nine and Twelve," Cecile advised, as Euphemia took a step back in surprise.

"Oh my," she whispered, stunned for a moment, her legs giving way as she found her way to the nearest available chair. While she had known that victory was possible, being confronted with it in its entirety was a little overwhelming. "Then we've…"

"Yes…we've won our battle," the Director of Camelot confirmed, a slight smile on her face. "Lloyd will be pleased with the data we've gathered—but not so pleased at the wrecked Lancelot Club."

Outside, the Britannian forces had grown more disorganized yet again with the loss of their leaders, which, when coupled with the fierce onslaught and the presence of the White Knightmare quickly becoming called the White Reaper, nearly led to a full on rout—or would have, had any of the Britannian ships survived.

As it was, they were hard pressed to survive, and when Euphemia li Britannia made a broadcast to all surviving Britannian troops in Area 11, promising mercy in exchange for immediate and unconditional surrender, Vincents flocked to the ground in droves, with the pilots ejecting, dropping their weapons and going to their knees, weeping with a sense of relief when the Black Knights found them and brought them to their cells.

For them, the nightmare was finally over, and they, unlike their comrades in arms, would live.

* * *

**Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

Within the Student Council Clubroom, the television's weak glow was the only source of light, as an official broadcast from the Government Bureau announced the utter defeat of the invading forces, accompanied by news of the arranged marriage in the Chinese Federation being called off. Yet this time, there was no idle chatter discussing the news as one might expect, no members of the Student Council sitting and watching, though clearly someone had turned on the television earlier.

_Creak!_

Slowly, the door swung open, as the wheelchair riding form of Nunnally vi Britannia peeked inside, having been attracted by a commotion earlier, wrinkling her nose at the pungent scent of blood and terror that escaped the moment the door was opened.

"Hello? Is somebody there?" she asked hesitantly, feeling her heart begin to beat faster, breath growing ragged, as—

_Click!_

—something cold and hard and metallic was pressed up against her forehead.

"So, Nunnally Lamperouge, is it?" a darkly sinister, if childish voice asked. "Or was it Nunnally vi Britannia, the other child of Marianne?"

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked shakily, knowing enough to identify the object as something dangerous and potentially deadly.

"That's an interesting question, isn't it?" replied the mysterious voice which clearly meant her no good at all. "I'm here to fix a mistake I made eight years ago: I should have killed you and your brother when I had the chance. After all, you are your mother's children, and I should have known that her spawn would interfere with my plans."

_Hiss!_

A sharp intake of breath, as Nunnally turned her face towards the speaker.

"You mean you—"

"Nunna," came a weak voice from inside the Student Council room. "Get away from—"

_Crack!_

A single gunshot echoed through the chamber, leaving silence in its wake.

A crimson sigil flared, and two figures vanished, leaving behind a single bloody corpse.

* * *

**A/N**: Exeunt the Knights of the Round, as the last battle draws near. Twas a heavy price to pay for some, not as much for others...and there will be more suffering before all is said and done. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated!


	36. Herald to Fimbulvinter

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

As V.V. advanced through the halls of the Government Bureau, the assault rifle in his hands barked out a snarling metallic cacophony, hurling lead slugs through the air with vicious recoil that the boy's small frame could hardly handle without going ass over teakettle, mowing down those between him and his objective. With his earlier plan of neatly trapping and erasing the Grey Witch from existence having been ruined by a certain demon born of _that woman_, the younger immortal found himself forced to take more drastic measures.

'_I have successfully completed my operations at Ashford Academy, which should strike a crippling blow to Avenger's emotional state…but to make sure of this, I will simply kidnap Euphemia li Britannia as well, holding her as a hostage,' _the little boy thought to himself as he blew away Black Knights, laughing all the while. _'After all, it is no sin to purge a demon and his followers, especially when they are fools that trusted a witch who would dare stand in my way.'_

"Ugh! Call for rein—"

_Blam! Blam!_

A sudden surge of force hurled the young boy to the ground, and V.V. looked down to see a bloody hole in his chest just before all went black as he collapsed with a _thump, _the assault rifle clattering from his hands.

"What…he's just a—"

_Crack!_

Unfortunately, not having been briefed as to the nature of this individual, the Black Knight had approached the "corpse" of the boy, only for the immortal to sit up, pull two pistols from its pocket, and proceed to blow the man's brain's out, sneering all the thile.

"That…hurt," the boy snarled, peering down at the bloodstains on his formerly pristine clothes, which had been custom-made for him, as a member of royalty. "So the witch is going to make things difficult is—"

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!_

—he was cut off as three kunais came streaking out of nowhere, flying for the immortal blond's face, heart, and gun hand, catching him unawares and embedding themselves in eye, chest, and wrist with a sickening thud as they hit their targets, with the immortal only becoming more enraged at this.

_Poof! _

To add insult to injury, a smoke bomb detonated in his face, obscuring his vision for a few precious seconds as numerous _somethings_ whistled through the air, most _thud thud thudd_ing into the ground around him, though some further sliced his clothes, and a further few stuck into his body so that he resembled a spiky porcupine.

Gritting his teeth, the boy ripped the blood-coated shurikens from his body as he laid down a hail of answering fire, his dual guns blazing c_rack! Crack! Crack! _as they spat lead in the direction from which the attacks had come, only for—

"Guh!"

_Smack! Squelch!_

—the boy to receive a boot to the face and kunais jammed into his eyes courtesy of a certain ninja maid, with the immortal's assailant forcing his body onto the floor, where his back was perforated by a thousand tiny pains—the shurikens that had "missed" him earlier.

'_Who is…is this the one who defeated Assassin?ǃ' _V.V. realized, as the blows to face, body and crotch (stomps, kicks, and more) dulled his ability to think, with pain exploding in his head, his ribs, his chest. _'I see…attacking so quickly that he was disabled before he could use his Geass…'_

After the triumph of UFN forces in the fierce aerial battle over the Tokyo Settlement and the subsequent surrender of all surviving Britannian forces, Sayoko Shinozaki had landed the Lancelot in the inner courtyard of the Government Bureau, intending to first check on the health of her comrade in arms Cecile Croomy—but had had her attention drawn by an intruder, one she recognized from the description that C.C. had once given of her most hated foe.

'_So you are V.V., the enemy of Mistress Zero and Master Lelouch, the most dangerous assassin of Britannia,' _thought the deadly maid assassin, as she continued to attack relentlessly. _'For the sake of Japan, and the will of my masters, I will stop you!'_

Faced with such an opponent, one that Zero herself had admitted possessed incredible abilities, it was better to strike fast and hard, asking questions only after the opponent had been dispatched. Thus—it was time to bring out the heavy weaponry, as Sayoko doubted that the blond boy would be dispatched so easily—a clear example of someone who would not die when he was killed.

'_In that case, if I cannot kill him, I can still stall him by continuing to inflict damage,'_ the ninja maid thought to herself, reaching into her pockets for…more harmful implements.

_Squelch-hop-BOOM!_

This time, what was used were three bamboo tubes stabbed into V.V.'s chest, each packed with gunpowder and steel balls—exploding in the chest cavity, cracking bones and rending flesh as shrapnel tore through the boy's form, leaving him battered and broken—but not dead.

"Guarrghhhh," V.V. croaked as blood and entrails splattered the walls of the hallway, with a crimson sigil blazing into existence on his forehead as he _had enough_, using his Code to inflict shock images, terror, despair, worthless humiliation, darkness, grief, as red expanded within a large scale radius, with people crumpled, helpless before the might of his psychic assault.

More to the point, the wide-range mental attack managed to freeze Sayoko in place, giving V.V. the chance to raise his side arm and shoot her in the midsection with a resounding _crack!_

'_An impressive talent for violence,' _V.V. thought to himself, though as he stalked towards the Governor General's office, guns in hand, incapacitating those in his way with a barrage of shock images and unwanted emotions, and gunning them down afterwards. _'Never let it be said that C.C. was not a cunning witch, but this time, I hold all the cards.'_

Without further incident, the young immortal arrived at the Governor General's office, opening the door to find a startled Euphemia li Britannia sitting behind her desk alone, watching as surrendered enemies were rounded up, only to look up at the sound of the door—freezing when she saw a figure drenched in blood and gore.

_Click!_

"Hello, Euphemia li Britannia, my dear niece," greeted the darkly sinister voice of the creepy child V.V., his dual pistols pointed right at the pink haired princess. "I suppose I should not be surprised that you have become a follower of the witch, a hindrance to my plans. After all, you did consort with the demon child back at Aries."

"So, are you here to kill me?" Euphie asked, steeling her voice and forcing her body to show a sense of calm.

"Heh, truly tempting, as I have already killed one princess today," V.V. replied with a sneer. "No, you are much more valuable to me as a hostage."

Then a crimson sigil flared, and the two figures vanished from the room, leaving behind a trail of blood and broken bodies, with a still living Sayoko forcing herself upright to stagger to the nearest guard detachment, which had come running at the sound of gunshots, and had been most lightly affected by the mental agony.

"Contact the base at Shikine Island," the wounded ninja maid gasped out. "Euphemia kidnapped by Britannian agent V.V…Zero must be informed."

**

* * *

**

**Sword of Akasha**

Floating in a world of clouds with no land or sky in sight was an immense temple-like megastructure, a system which had been designed as the focal point of the power of the collective unconscious, the heart of the World of C. It was this place that had given rise to the legends of Olympus, the depictions of Heaven, and all those other conceptions of what a home of the gods was supposed to be. It was here that the Twilight Door would open at the end of the Eden Vital War, granting a wish to the last Servant remaining, when all but one of the Seven were dead. And it was here that the immortal Code-bearer V.V. appeared in a flash of light, with an insensate Euphemia li Britannia sprawled out at his feet.

With a simple _snap_ of his fingers, the eternally young boy summoned a black gear into existence under the form of the kidnapped princess, with the mechanism lifting the pink-haired prisoner into the air with strands of wispy smoke, pulling her body into the cage formed by the twisting prongs of the helix-like spear in the center of the temple, where it was unceremoniously dropped into a net of shadow and thoroughly trussed up, alongside a badly wounded orangette.

'_Well, now that my insurance policy against Avenger's interference is ready, it is time to put the final plan into operation,_' the immortal thought to himself, more than pleased with how he had managed to deal a little retribution for the pain he had suffered at the demon's hands. _'Thankfully, my Servant has control over the Thought Elevator and the systems within…'_

First though, V.V. used his control over the World of C to remove the pesky bloodstains from his clothes, returning them to their original unsullied concept of existence, with his appearance shifting to his battle form of white robes embroidered with seven glowing eyes staring at the world. It had been a long time since he had been cloaked in this particular set of garments, with the last notable occasion being the final struggle of the war in which he had won his immortality.

As was proper for a mage, there was a tome of eldritch lore within his hands, a volume with a cover of wrought of snakeskin, with pages of parchment said to be made of razor thin unicorn-skin, serving as a high-level prana core all on its own, enabling the near instantaneous use of powerful ritual magic, a power to summon and bind mythical creatures to one's will.

"Ye first, O beasts of beyond the vale," the Code-bearer intoned, opening the volume as pages flipped and turned in the air, wind rising as the boy read on. "O Illusions born of ephemeral wishes, hear me in the name of the Codes that transcend time. Let the descending winds be as a wall, let the gates in all directions be opened, the threefold connection to the end of land revolve. Chaos and nemesis, beings bound to the fate of Pen Draig, answer my call and awaken!"

A powerful gust of wind howled down from above, as w_hump-whump-whump, i_n the distance could be heard the flapping of wings, as glimpses and teases of a serpentine form emerged from the thick clouds around the megastructure, light reflecting off the shimmering scales and teeth of an ancient Phantasmal Beast, one of several that guarded this land, having been summoned by V.V.'s Noble Phantasm_** De Vermis Mysteriis (Mysteries of the Worm)**_, a powerful grimoire remaining from the boy's time as Caster that gave the Code-bearer the ability to conjure and control mythical beasts.

_Step step step. _Pause. _Step step step. _

At the heavy beat of footsteps upon stone and the sound of his summoned creatures' wings, V.V.'s lips curled up into a cruel smile, something like what a shark would wear before devouring its prey.

"Charles," the immortal spoke aloud, "Are your preparations complete for the final phase?"

"Indeed," rumbled the deep bass voice of Charles zi Britannia, who looked remarkably unchanged from his usual form. "Our agents have visited the Thought Elevators, and I have spent considerable time within the Sword of Akasha ensuring that they have been synchronized and linked with one another, in preparation for our next move."

"Excellent," V.V. whispered, his fingers weaving out a set of strange patterns in the air as he rose up into the air, body glowing with a soft vermillion red aura. "Then come…let us begin…invoke the challenge to the Servants that remain."

"Very well then, my brother," replied Caster, stepping up to the helical spear forged of shadow wreathed masks as he closed his eyes, stretching out his consciousness to the corners of the world. "By the powers beyond the Twilight Door, I invoke…_**Ephemeral Masquerade!**_"

Outside the World of C, the symbol of Geass flared blood-red at the scattered Thought Elevators around the world, with helices of rust-colored phosphorescence shooting up from the ruins into the ionosphere, scattering all around, with a roar like distant thunder as the lands near the ruins quaked and shook, a sickly black mud flowing out as whispers, groans, mental shrieks lashed out from the collective unconsciousness to those who remained alive within the world of lies, showing them things that were, that once had been, that might have been, flickering from possibility to possibility with the condemnation of all-seeing retrospect.

Perhaps a pure and spotless saint could have tuned out this symphony of destruction, but who in a time of chaos could keep oneself clean, when no one was clean to begin with?

'_It has begun…the Ragnarok Connection…'_

* * *

**Rider's Quarters, Aerial Battleship **_**Avalon**_

After her consultation with the Governor General, in which the white-haired man had decided to send the aerial flotilla onward to Pendragon, Servant Rider had returned to her personal quarters on the _Avalon_ to rest, as there was little else to do onboard the ship other than monitor the tactical situation or observe the technicians at work—and considering the strange looks of mingled awe and trepidation that she had been getting while in the guise of Zero, Kallen figured that efficiency would probably improve once she was out of sight.

'_Which I suppose is the reason why Zero lets Avenger handle many of the Black Knights' field operations,' _the redhead realized as she sat in front of a terminal, accessing the situation data from the relative comfort of her quarters—where at least she could remove the heavy (and rather stuffy) mask. _'Though I still don't know how either of them stand wearing that for too long…especially Zero, since I've _never_ seen her without it.'_

According to the tactical map, the fighting over the Tokyo Settlement had ceased, with the only active units remaining being those of the Black Knights and their allies, a sign that brought a tired smile to Kallen's face, as victory was at last theirs.

'_Though I wonder how many of our own had to die, how much blood had to be shed to make this a reality?'_ she thought, winkling her nose at the unpleasant thought. _'Still, it is better than fighting and dying for no reason at all…'_

The latest message had been a coded burst from the Government Bureau, registering the surrender of Britannian forces, with the reply including a video of Rider's duel with the Knight of One, spread all throughout the internet, and broadcast all over the news. By all accounts, things had gone well, amazingly well—so why did the Servant have a strange sense of foreboding?

'_No reason at all, though I guess I'm just worried that something went wrong,'_ she mused, grimacing slightly as she considered why that might be. _'I've been spending too much time with Avenger, that's probably it—he's thrown off my mood.'_

And then the screens clouded with static, as massive amounts of electromagnetic radiation surged through the air, manifesting in the sky as halos of red lightning with tendrils of red orange and green blue hanging down and arcing towards the sky like intelligent constructs resonating with a tune like whalesong, as sibilant whispers crept into her mind, showing her…

'_My brother dying, being shot, being burned, being run over by a tank, being cut in two by a Slash Harken, being torn apart in an explosion. Another world with Zero, where the rebellion failed. A world where Lelouch is Zero and a green-haired girl is his mistress. A world with no Knightmares. A world where Lelouch became a demon emperor. A world_…'

A kaleidoscope of infinite temptations and infinite realities, punctuated by—

'_Death. Wartime, my death. Death by firing squad, death by being burned alive, death by being run over, death by Slash Harken, death by Refrain overdose, death by radiant wave surger, death by being killed by terrorists, death by knives, death by—'_

A thousand deaths, a million deaths, the sensation of—

'_Eyes gouged out, eyes popping from radiation, Fatigue, strain, carpal tunnel. Resistance is futile. Overgrowth, parched, drought. Lips, throat, body crumbling. Rumbles empty innards, dark hearth. Ulcer, acid reflux, diarrhea. Captivity, delirium, cognitive dissonance, Stockholm. Waterboarding, struggle, drowning, gurgle. Water cure, water dungeon, Water dropping, festering sores. A drip-drip-drip, drip-drip-drip randomly falling in syncopated patterned staccato. Untouchable, blinded, ripping off the toenails, gouging out organs with fleshy charbroiled fingers. Boiling sulfur, flesh flaying scalped alive, pitchcapping.'_

"Auugh!" Servant Rider groaned, as screams flooded through her head, as a crimson disc of light pulsed outwards over the world, and everything went white.

**

* * *

**

**Vermillion Forbidden City in Luoyang**

Within the cockpit of his Gekka Pre-Production Test-type, Li Xingke was securing the front lines, his unit's heated chainsword slashing apart any forces still loyal to the High Eunuchs as part of his coup d'état, intending to return the young Empress Tianzi to a position of true power (from her current position as a puppet and figurehead of the government)—with himself acting as Regent while the Tianzi was still relearning the art of statecraft.

'_I serve the people of my country—but most of all, I serve my Empress,'_ the man thought to himself as his sword slashed apart one Gun-Ru after another, intending to prove his loyalty through his prowess in battle. Saber had sworn his life to the young Empress ever since she had spared his life years ago, and now, he was repaying his debt by giving her a chance to shine in her own right—something which seemed much easier now that the High Eunuchs had been summarily executed by the demon that men called Avenger. _'I admit that I don't fully trust him, and that he makes me rather uneasy, with his shroud of blood and shadow, but…'_

But Avenger and Zero had let him live, and more, had returned him to his country in order to allow him to save his Empress from the clutches of the Britannians, meaning that Xingke now owed the two masked revolutionaries a great debt as well—and unlike in Britannia, it wasn't considered the height of fashion to off those one owed debts to.

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

The autocannon embedded in his unit's left arm opened fire, unleashing a torrent of lead as—

"Wauughhh!"

Mingled screams and whimpers came over the radio, as all motion in the city ground to a halt, as the sky was stained a fiery red, with the crimson moon shining down from above and the clouds seeming almost alive as wisps reached out for every mortal being, every living mind, revealing—

'_Klaxon, siren, wailing. Dissonance, discord, cacophony. Keening, banshee, screeching. Silence, pause, pause. Metal, din, pots and pans, thunder. Ashes, ashes, soot, grime. Sewage, ooze, toxic waste. Defecate, defecate, release and urinate. Steep, hubris, stench. Tenderize, slit, lacerate, maul. Rub, Blister, raw, lance, boil, pierce. Shudder, jolt, tremble, spasm.'_

Death. A world where he had not been spared by the Empress, where he had not been spared by Zero, where he had been assassinated by the High Eunuchs, where he had been stabbed by a young Britannian boy with the power of Geass, where he was a consul in Area 11, where—

Eyes widening as he experienced all these possibilities all at once, his mind overloading with things that had not been, and things that might yet be, Saber brought his hands to his ears in an attempt to stop the whispers, stop the screams, closing his eyes, but to no avail as—

Flash!

—the world faded away into a haze of white.

**

* * *

**

**Bridge, Stealth Battlecruiser **_**Skeith**_

On the bridge of the Stealth Battlecruiser _Skeith, _the Grey Witch's eyes widened as she felt a massive quaking in the collective unconscious as the eight Thought Elevators scattered around the world activated all at once, with another all-too familiar power imposing his will upon the World of C, attempting to draw in all that opposed him.

'_Charles and V.V. have finally made their move , using the Thought Elevators as I feared they would,'_ Zero thought to herself, her grip tightening on the arms of her command chair ever so slightly. _'I can hear it, the sound of the unconscious weeping as it is forced to experience possibility upon discarded possibility…almost enough to make one want to surrender.'_

Around her, the bridge crew began to shake, to tremble, as shock images invaded their vision, whimpers escaping their mouths as—

'_Enough…you will not claim my crew,' _C.C. mentally commanded, the crimson sigil on the Grey Witch's head flaring like a miniature sun, madder red light spilling from her body, radius expanding outwards to encompass the entire ship in a field of glowing hexagons, isolating it from destructive mental interference, pitting the power of her Code against a larger power, even at the cost of great strain upon her mind and body. _'I can't hold this shield for too long, so I suppose I must use my last resort, or was it the only resort from the very beginning?'_

"Lady Zero, sensors are reporting a massive surge of electromagnetic activity," reported Ichijiku Hinata, analyzing the data at her console as the sheen of sweat shone on her forehead. "It's causing heavy interference with our data links."

"Activity has ceased completely in the city below—no sign of continued fighting, or movement at all," reported Ayame Futaba, not believing what she was seeing. "Zero, what are your orders?"

_War. Blood stains. Lines of death. Retribution. Primal suffering screaming screaming screaming. Victims. The last day of Atlantis. War looms, war beckons. A thousand deaths, a thousand years, washed away in time._

_Hiss!_

The lift hissed open again, as a distraught Avenger stumbled through the doors, supported by Milly Ashford, who seemed rather concerned, and glanced at Zero pleadingly.

"No…no…no," the exiled prince whispered, pale and drawn beneath his mask, as he recalled the brief shock of images he had seen before the connection cut off, with the blonde escorting him to a seat and forcing him to sit down. "Nunnally was…nunnally was…"

"Helm, lay in a course for Lake Cheko, coordinates 60.964°N 101.86°E on the world map," C.C. ordered without delay, waiting for the confirmation nod from Mutsuki Minase, and continuing once she got it. "Proceed at flank speed."

That said, the immortal Witch rose from her seat and walked over to Avenger, hauling him upright and pulling him in the direction of the lift.

"Captain Inoue, the chair is yours," the Grey Witch said, relinquishing the chair. "Ladies, you have your orders. Avenger, come with me."

Without delay, Zero marched her Servant to the lift, proceeding from there to the Witch's personal quarters on board, sealing the doors behind them once they stepped inside, with both of them removing their masks, revealing a slightly strained expression on C.C.'s face, and absolute horror on Lelouch's.

"We have to go back to Area 11," Avenger all but hissed, eyes filled with a mingled grief, rage, and confusion. "Nunnally was, the Student Council was…V.V. he…he's waiting at Kamine Island. I…I have to go. I have to stop him."

If one looked closely, one might almost see shadows beginning to pulse violently around the distraught Servant, who had been exposed all at once to the one weakness in his armor: harm to his friends, harm to…

C.C. grabbed onto Avenger's shoulders, holding him in place before he could do anything rash.

"Listen to me, we can't go back," Zero whispered seriously, her golden eyes boring into royal purple as if seeing into his mind. "That's exactly what he wants us to do."

Avenger quieted under the raw power and force of the immortal's gaze, stilling himself with a deep breath, though inside his thoughts still ran wild.

"That's a start," C.C. continued. "Look, you are aware of what's happening, right? V.V. and Charles have made their move, using an ancient system called a Thought Elevator to extend their influence over the world."

"An Atlantean system?" the Servant asked sharply, as the green-haired Witch could only sigh.

"Unfortunately so," the immortal answered, her lips twisting into a grimace. "But that's not relevant at the moment. What is, is that all of Area 11 is within their reach from the Thought Elevator at Kamine Island, which you may know better as the Devil's Sea."

"…don't tell me there's also one in the Bermuda Triangle?" came the skeptical, almost sarcastic remark.

"…yes, actually," C.C. said wryly, tossing her hair. "You'd be surprised how many of the world's mysteries can be tied back to those ruins, capable of amplifying the thoughts of anyone within, or physically transporting one to the World of C. Just as we will need to physically enter that world in order to stop our enemies."

"I take it that there is one of these Thought Elevators at our destination then?"

"Indeed," Zero explained, keeping a hold on her Servant's, as she radiated calm towards him, soothing his mind as best she could—as only she could, as other Codes didn't affect him much. "It's not the one I have the best connection with, that one being Loe Pool in the British Isles, where I was once called the Lady of the Lake, but it is the next best alternative. Do you remember the Tunguska impact of 1908 ATB?"

A nod and a raised eyebrow from Avenger.

"Do you know why the comet didn't actually hit the ground?" the immortal pressed.

"Do these ruins have a self-defense mechanism of some kind?" Avenger hazarded a guess, to see C.C. smiling approvingly at him.

"That's right," the Grey Witch replied gravely, pulling the Servant close so as to embrace him, comfort him, her hands moving to caress his back as she walked them over to the bed and sat them down. "Now tell me what happened…"

An errant droplet of water issued from one of the corners of his eyes, followed by another, and another as Lelouch recalled the crystal clear images that had been shot into his mind by V.V.'s little mental assault, with the one that reality sank in, with the one that stood out the most an image of Nunnally. Specifically, Nunally's dead body slumped over in her wheelchair, a finger-sized hole between her eyes, and blood spilling all over her form, with the bullet-perforated form of Rivalz in the background, body cooling in a pool of blood. And then had come more images, images of Euphie and Shirley badly wounded, crucified between the prongs of a great helical spear within a temple of some sort, while V.V. stood laughing.

"I…its…how can I…" Lelouch began to babble, weak now that one of his reason for fighting were—"Mmmphhfff!"

But he found his head seized and pulled up, as the Grey Witch's lips came crashing down on the exiled prince's mouth in a rather violent, if passionate, kiss.

"You can fight, and you will, because if you don't, Euphie and Shirley will die by V.V.'s hands," she said fervently, while staring into the prince's eyes. "You will fight because you and I are the only ones who can stop him. And you will fight because you swore an oath that you would stay by my side until the end, warlock. Unless you were lying, of course—"

A long moment of silence as the two just looked at one another, considering.

"…I could never lie to you, witch," Lelouch admitted ruefully. "You know that."

"No, I suppose you couldn't, at that," C.C. replied, with a hint of a devilish smirk as she held him in her arms. "But for now, let me give you what comfort I can, alright, Avenger?"

"…very well, master, as you say," Avenger conceded, allowing himself to rest in her embrace, head cushioned against her soft bosom as he breathed in her unique scent. _'You really are an enigma, Caren Cybele Ortensia…my dear immortal witch…'_

* * *

**Phantasm World of Caster – **"_**Ephemeral Masquerade**_"

When Kallen next opened her eyes, she found herself in an unknown Phantasm World, one that was akin to a featureless expanse of white, as she was dressed in the skintight red and black tubedress with detachable sleeves that served as her battle costume, chained nail-like daggers already in hand, red hair flowing in waves to her waist, seeming to shift here and there as with a life of its own—hungry for heat, hungry for plundered lifeforce.

Beside her was a man who she recognized as Li Xingke (Or "Saber," as she mentally corrected herself), who was apparently dressed in an ornate white and gold brigandine, covering torso, shoulders and thighs while remaining comfortable and flexible enough to allow movement, posture defiant as he nodded to Rider, then turned to what they both could instinctively feel was this world's source. Mounted to the wrist of his hands were liquid metal whips sharper than a razor, spinning quickly enough that they could barely be discerned as anything other than a mirrored sheen.

'_Interesting…almost like a Slash Harken of some sort…one that he can rotate to use as a shield, as well as use to attack.'_

And in his hand…

'_I can't see what he's holding, though from the stance and name, I would certainly guess that he's a swordsman.'_

The swordsman too had studied her, and nodded, giving the other Servant a salute with his invisible weapon, as dark ebullient laughter spilled from a place before them.

Turning to face the source of the sounds, the two warriors were confronted by the sight of Britannian Emperor Charles zi Britannia and a little boy standing on black gears that floated in the air, with the latter in white robes embroidered with seven glowing eyes.

Creepily enough, it was the blond boy who was laughing, as he read from the pages of a book covered with rainbow colored scales, his hands making passes over the tome of eldritch lore.

"Welcome, Rider and Saber to Caster's World," V.V. greeted amusedly, glancing over to his brother as the environment within shifted to a golden field of wheat, with the ominous funnel clouds of tornadoes in the distance and a great helical spear of shadow in the distance, with two human seeming figures writhing in the net in which they were caught. "I'm glad you could join us for the end of the world…and so I make you an offer. Resign yourselves to your defeat, and I will make your ends swift and painless."

"You Britannian bastard, what do you mean by that?" Kallen spat at the two, anger blazing in her eyes. "I've beaten your armies, your Knight of One, your other Champions. You have no idea what this badass mother can do!"

"Huhuhu, really?" V.V. inquired solicitously, as a fierce roar bellowed from the heavens, the _whump-whump-whump_ of wings heralding the descent of an immense Phantasmal beast, easily half a kilometer in length, scales gleaming from its fire red belly, as its eight-forked head roared and its eight forked tail slashed viciously through the air, its eyes glowing red with malevolence. "So tell me, Eleven…can you defeat what my Noble Phantasm has summoned? Can you beat this Yamata no Orochi?"

So he asked before withdrawing from range, as the dragon plummeted past him to attack the intruders in this world.

'_Oh hell,'_ Rider thought, her eyes going wide at the sight of the creature before her, a creature out of myth and legend that had taken a god to defeat. Clearly, her chained daggers would not be enough for this battle, so…

"_**Mark Nemo!"**_

A quick slash of her hand to draw blood, and droplets splattered out, floating in midair as they flowed into a magic circle, surrounding Rider's form with a crimson vortex of heat and fire, the summoning circle duplicating itself again and again, blazing with light as a massive shadow erupted from the ground below. A monstrous inhuman weapon standing over 5 meters tall, wrought of congealed shadow and blood like a fallen angel stripped of its wings, armed with a jet black katana and numerous remote rocket anchors called Blonde Knives (similar to Slash Harkens), capable of piercing even the most powerful of armors, this was Rider's greatest Noble Phantasm, the crystallization of the fear of an inhuman enemy.

'_And I'm about to use it against something even more inhuman than a Knightmare.'_

Without a mount of his own to use, Saber managed as best he could by vaulting onto the shoulder of the Knightmare Frame, invisible sword in hand.

'_The Yamata no Orochi…is this the beast from where my __**Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi**__ was drawn?'_ Saber mused, shaking his head to clear it of idle thought.

"Come, Rider…let us finish this foul beast," intoned Saber, sword at the ready as he stood, perched upon a moving Knightmare Frame.

"Right," Rider replied, raising her unit's Katana and leaping high into the air, blonde Knives _whir whir whiring_ at the enemy, as the dragon rushed at them with blinding speed and V.V. only laughed.

* * *

**A/N**: So the time comes for the final battles in Phantasmagoria, with the world at stake, of course. And V.V. has summoned up a rather nasty creature as a guard, as the Yamata no Orochi is not exactly a joke. Thanks for reading, and reviews are highly appreciated!


	37. Shadow of Intent

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

**

**Zero's Quarters, Stealth Battlecruiser **_**Skeith**_

In the wake of the activation of the eight Thought Elevators, the world trembled, with all of humanity brought to its knees by the power of Caster's psychic assault against the "gods", a brutal power amplified by the ancient system of ruins as it spread across the collective unconsciousness, forcing people to face their fears, their anxieties, their worst nightmares in horrific personal interludes into what might have been and what never was, allowing them to experience alternate pasts, presents, futures all at once.

No surprise then that given the number of bad ends one might have encountered in life, the regrets one bore, the unfulfilled yearnings, that almost all were crushed by this onslaught of possibilities, collapsing in place, unable to resist as the power inexorably washed over them, reducing most to temporarily helpless shells of their former self.

The only place where this was not so was on board the stealth battlecruiser _Skeith_, where madder red light spilled uncontrollably from the Grey Witch's body, encompassing the entire ship with a field of glowing hexagons that isolated all aboard from destructive mental interference, pitting the power of her Code against a larger power, even at the cost of great strain upon her mind and body.

'_I will need to maintain this shield until we arrive at Lake Cheko_, _so I will retire to my quarters to rest…'_

The immortal had intended to do so alone, leaving Avenger in charge—until that figure of blood and shadow had arrived on the bridge, every inch of his body radiating suffering, almost an inability to act as his mind reeled in shock.

'_There are times when I am grateful for a mental connection with my Servant,' _she mused silently, making up her mind to drag Avenger to her quarters to deal with him privately, even as images of what her Servant as seeing flashed into her mind, causing the immortal's lips to twitch downward in a grimace as she caught a glimpse of what "pleasantness" V.V. had shown the wraith of vengeance. '_Then again…this is not particularly one of them.'_

Given the rather unusual nature of Avenger as the anti-existence of the Codes rather than a standard Servant, the mental assault should not have affected him nearly as badly. Indeed, his aura of blood and shadow (something like the psychic equivalent of chaff smoke), tended to conceal him from enemies—and was exactly the reason why Avenger had to choose to initiate fights within Phantasm World, since he could not be forced into it. Even in the earlier incident involving the trap meant for C.C., the Servant had chosen to come to his Master's aid, finding her through the connection they shared.

However…

'_I see, V.V…you used a different tactic against my loyal Champion—feeding him images of reality, of suffering, of all the times he had failed to protect those he cared about…'_

Thus, it was that after issuing a set of commands to the crew to head towards the nearest (non V.V.-aligned) Thought Elevator, Zero had taken her Servant and fairly dragged him into her quarters, where the two had proceeded to doff their masks and _talk_, with the immortal explaining to Avenger exactly why heading back to Area 11 would be a _very bad idea,_ while using the mental connection with her Servant to try and soothe Avenger's mind as best she could.

'_I…Nunnally was…nunnally was…'_ Lelouch's thought railed and screamed, wanting nothing more than to collapse in a useless heap of angst like the rest of the world. It was sorely tempting, to just do nothing, to just give in to the darkness—but something stopped him.

An outstretched hand in his mind, giving him strength, keeping the storm momentarily at bay. A sense of undeniable warmth from the crimson light surrounding the Grey Witch's form. His oath as Avenger, the incarnation of vengeance, his master's sword.

'_I wanted to create a gentle world for Nunnally's sake…'_ the Servant thought as he sobbed into C.C.'s chest, hot tears streaming down his cheeks at all that he had lost. _'She was the main reason I lived…to create that gentle world…but in the end…'_

In the end, he could not protect his beloved younger sister from being killed by V.V., the being who had already taken so much away from him—his mother, his friends…and now this, losses which compounded one upon the other, leaving only an infinite void filled with suffering voices, each demanding vengeance, demanding justice, demanding retribution.

'_That's right…I am the soul of the void,'_ Avenger recalled, focusing on the two things remaining to him: the presence of the Grey Witch, and what he was—the world's despair and pain given form. _'Fire is my blood and vengeance my purpose. Having borne infinite suffering upon these narrow shoulders, within this empty heart, I exist only as the edge of a blade. Allowing none to escape from my blades, allowing none to escape from my sight. Retaliation, not forgiveness, despair, not hope, darkness, not light, death, never life.'_

V.V. and Charles zi Britannia had taken away so much from so many, and now, they sought to claim the world?

'_Never. That I will not allow!' _the Wraith of Vengeance resolved, his soul boiling with an intense anger that came of being pushed too far beyond one's limits, his tears drying, leaving only hard eyes and a body determined to do what was necessary. If no proper Servant could stand against V.V. and Charles in their absolute territory, then it would fall to Avenger to stop them once and for all—for after all, was that not his purpose: to avenge those who had fallen to injustice?

"Are you alright, Avenger?" came the somewhat strained voice of the Grey Witch, her presence pervading his senses as he returned more or less to reality.

'_I wonder how much suffering has C.C. seen in her many years of existence, how she is able to persist as she does. She is truly a strange being, but one I am grateful to have met.'_

"I've been better, but I'll live," the raven-haired prince spoke, his voice somewhat muffled by the Witch's soft bosom. "A better question: how are you?"

"Same…I'll live," C.C. replied wryly, her face, something of an unreadable mask, as her hands held her Servant close as if to sear the impression into her memory, rubbing some of the knots of tension from his spine.

"You do realize that's not saying much coming from you, right?" Lelouch shot back, a tiny hint of a smile on his lips as he drank in her warmth, letting himself rest for a moment before the battle to come.

A soft chuckle, edged with darkness, as fingers gently traced lines upon the Servant's cheek and jaw, soft amber eyes gazing upon him strangely once more.

"Perhaps," Zero whispered softly, her breath hot against Avenger's ear. "I do realize more than you know, you terrible Servant."

"Somehow, witch, I'm not surprised…"

_**

* * *

**_

**Phantasm World of Caster – **"_**Ephemeral Masquerade**_"

In the sky, the clouds are moving, with heat lightning arcing from cloud to cloud to ground, the harsh momentary illumination of these electrical cascades setting off alarm bells inside the heads of those brought to this world, as ominous grey funnel shapes like overgrown fingers reached down all around a battered threadbare field of wheat, moving in seemingly random patterns that left destruction in their wake. There was no wind at ground level…yet, but way up in the sky, the air was roaring, as overlapping clouds rotated in a powerful updraft.

"A Knightmare…such an inelegant weapon in this phantasmal world," sneered Charles zi Britannia, as he observed the actions of the intruders through the flickering illumination.

"Indeed…but even with such a thing, against the Yamata no Orochi, they have no chance," V.V. concluded, with an evil smirk.

"Using a dragon from the legends of the Elevens against an Eleven, how amusing," Charles replied, a slow and evil laugh emanating from his form. "And then, with the rest of the seven dead, the gods will finally face our reckoning."

_Flash!_

Another bolt of lightning, uncomfortably close this time, where casting nightmare shadows into the field as low-hanging mists obscured vision, as a blizzard raged on unabated in the dimming light of dusk, with a helical spear being thrust at a great inverted eye overhead, stripping away the veneer of illusion that kept reality in place.

"_**GYAWWOOO!" **_

Above it all a serpent roared, howling a furious challenge as it descended from the sky, the air wrapping around its sinuous form rippling, distorted by miniature vortices of fire as that evil-shaped form too massive to compare shot towards the black and crimson Knightmare Frame and the man in white-gold armor perched upon it, vorpal claws and tails lashing out to—

_Clang!_

—clash against the comparatively tiny Katana that Rider's _**Mark Nemo**_ swung against it, batting the annoyance aside with a casual backhand, sending the unit hurtling towards the ground, as—

_Whirr! Whirr!_

—the unit's Blonde Knives (essentially Slash Harkens that moved to engage enemies automatically, each drilling rapidly and capable of penetrating almost anything) shot out, wrapping around one of the Orochi's grasping clawed forelegs and arresting its fall with a thud.

Up until now, Rider had had the "pleasure" of facing more manageable opponents, beginning with Avenger (who had bested her with trickery and cunning, not sheer strength), moving to Assassin (who she had defeated rather handily, before the boy ran away), and scaling up to Lancer, a Servant who had met her on at least equal terms (with a phantasmal Knightmare—a flying knightmare, at that—of his own), growing more comfortable with combat in phantasmagoria with each experience.

In this battle, however…

"Damnit all, why do all my opponents have the ability to fly?ǃ" the redhead girl cursed, channeling her will into her "Knightmare" of sorts, the supposed crystallization of the fear of an inhuman enemy, while still appearing more or less in human shape. _'And why, of all things, do I have to fight the Yamata no Orochi? I mean, talk about overpowered…'_

_Vrrr!_

A grating metallic sound, sparks flying as the _**Mark Nemo**_ used the tangled cables to winch itself upwards, jerking up in a smooth motion as it brought its katana to bear upon the dragon's (hopefully) soft underbelly, with Saber adding the might of his liquid metal spears, thrusting out with incredible velocity and force—

_Clang! Fsssh!_

—only to be repelled, as the iridescent jet-black scales of this eight-headed spectrum dragon proved remarkably resistant to being cut, pierced, or otherwise damaged as it thrashed violently, drawing one of its vorpal talons across the cables from which the Knightmare was suspended, plunging the smaller figure into a lurching freefall, and—

_Thwack!_

—punted the plummeting mobile armor through the air in the direction of a particularly vicious looking tornado, the multiple vortices swirling about its center heavy with white-hot iron sands that almost seemed to beg for something to rip apart. And without a way to change the direction of Mark Nemo's flight, it seemed that this struggle—

"Expand! _**Boundary of the Wind King!" **_

So bellowed Li Xingke from the head of the Knightmare, to which the white and gold clad Servant had anchored himself with his liquid metal whips to keep from being shaken off like a used rag. In response to his will, Saber's invisible sword erupted with a massive amount of wind, a typhoon like power that exploded outwards, halting the _**Mark Nemo's **_flight and suspending it in mid-air so that Rider's Knightmare floated in mid-air, its primary disadvantage taken away.

"Nice trick," observed Rider, a slight bit of tension dissolving from her as the redhead smirked, her unit whirling to face the eight-headed serpent, which had apparently turned away, thinking the battle finished. "I don't suppose you have any anti-dragon Noble Phantasms you're hiding?"

"I wish it were so, as I did not expect to face the most feared dragon of Japanese mythology," Saber replied, not at all amused by the situation, as maintaining control of the local wind sapped his mana reserves. "However, I have some faith in my sword, and the powers it bears."

Such confidence was only to be expected of one had been chosen as Saber, the hero of the sword said to be the strongest of the seven proper Servants, particularly an individual who wielded the weapon he did—a weapon that was becoming visible as the sheath of compressed wind that had hidden it from view was released chaotically into its surroundings. Slowly, it faded into view as a nodachi seemingly forged of liquid light, the _**Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi**_ ("sword of the gathering clouds of heaven"), a holy sword that was the crystallization of the concept of valor.

"Well, you _are_ Servant Saber, so if you didn't have faith in your sword, I'd be more than a little worried," Kallen remarked, as a powerful gust bore the _**Mark Nemo**_ and its sword-wielding passenger towards the ebon dragon with the speed of the divine wind!

"_**AROUUGHAAAA!" **_

—only to strike at nothing except a barrier of flames, as the Yamata no Orochi let loose a bestial roar, having noticed the survival of the annoyance…or more to the point, the sword that Saber carried, shooting up into the concealing clouds above with a howl of frenzied wrath, as the amount of lightning that crackled through the sky doubled and redoubled, with the air below seeming almost to congeal, cooling even further as a killing intent radiated outwards as if…

'_The serpent is draining the energy from the sky for an attack,'_ Saber realized, his instincts as a warrior warning him that no good would come of this, with the man readying his sword, its golden light building, as currents of illumination converged and accelerated, intensifying the energy concentrated there.

_WHOOSH!_

A dislocation tore through space, as with a flash of light and a roar of wind, a swirl of destruction was loosed from the dragon's eight maws, transforming into massive jaws of serpentine lightning that surged unerringly towards the _**Mark Nemo**_, chasing it through the sky.

"Rider, dodge it!" Saber called out, bending the local wind to his sway to force the the Knightmare Frame under him away from the attack with all the speed it was capable of, attempting to evade at least the core.

'_If I can avoid the attack's core…I'll have to oppose it with the greatest power I am permitted!'_

"_**Ama-no-Murakumo-" **_Saber bellowed, pouring magical energy into the sword up to its limit in mere seconds, invoking the true name of his legendary blade and executing his attack with the greatest power. "-_**no-Tsurugi!"**_

There was no hesitation, as Saber released the full power of a sword that could vaporize the whole of the Yellow River in one blast, a fierce wave of light exploding outwards at the oncoming swirl of destruction!

_Rrrr! Whooomm! _

An immense impact like two colliding stars, as the crashing lights became an exploding sun, superheated wind roaring out in flashes of heat of light that shook the world to its foundations, the sheer force behind them creating a boundary in space.

_Rumble!_

A combination of beats like a strobe, as each power momentarily gains the upper hand, with Saber pouring more and more of his power into his attack as the Yamata no Orochi amplified its onslaught, as if to erase this imitation of its powers from existence, with the battle of the powers making Rider fear the earth would split in two!

How long would this struggle last?

_Crash! BOOM!_

After long seconds, it suddenly ended, with Saber's sword overpowered and the _**Mark Nemo**_ engulfed in scorching light, slammed into the ground by the fierce dislocation in space, armor _cracked _in myriad places as hail and frozen rain beat down on the black Knightmare.

"Kuh…!" Rider gasped from within the cockpit of this mobile suit, as the innards of the KMF threatened to collapse, forcing it upright with will alone, though the joints creaked as if stressed to the breaking point. "Saber…are you…?"

A groan of agony and a soft _thunk_ from outside the cockpit, as Xingke's burned and bloody form winches itself back into the _**Mark Nemo**_'s shoulders with his liquid metal whips, his clothing ragged and torn from the overwhelming power of the attack. At the moment his sword had failed him, Saber had dropped behind the Knightmare Frame for a measure of protection against the distortion.

"…still alive for now," came the weak reply, as Xingke wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and raised his sword once again. Whatever else he might be, Saber was a swordsman without even the concept of disloyalty or defeat in this world, for the one he served was timid and weak, and it would take time for the Tianzi to mature—thus it was his role to be heartless, to strike down his foes. "Not enough mana to control the wind for long though…"

As a Servant summoned to this battlefield, the only thing in him is the will to defeat the enemy before him, though it will certainly be no joke—he has already suffered great injury. Should things continue to go awry, he would die. Even with the help of Servant Rider's Knightmare Frame, Saber understood how difficult the battle would be—but what kind of servant would he be if he couldn't do something like this?

'_Even if the chance of winning does not exist, I will create it with his sword,'_ Xingke resolved, gulping in air as he ignored the pain in every inch of his body.

From the little viewing platform in the distance, V.V. laughed riotously, as if amused by the duo's feeble attempts to resist their end.

"So the power of Saber's holy sword was only that strong?" the immortal boy chortled, as the pages of his tome of eldritch lore flipped of their own accord. "Humanity's illusion of valor is so frail and tenuous? As expected for one of humanity's masks against fear, so easily smashed. Still, this complete victory is rather boring…perhaps I should have taken it easy on you…after all, you and Rider are still just children!"

An irritating laugh that carried over the air into the heavens—and to where the Knightmare stood defiant, with its two passengers gritting their teeth at the sound, scorched and battered though they was.

"But no matter, playtime is over," the smug voice of V.V. continued after but a moment. "Yamata no Orochi—kill them!"

"_**GYAWWOOO!" **_

Acceding to its summoner's wishes, the immense eight-headed dragon roared, howling a furious challenge as its fire-wreathed form flashed down from the sky, steam hissing from its body as it sought to smash its wounded enemy once and for all. It rushed towards the humanoid form of _**Mark Nemo, **_the air around it boiling with vast amounts of magical energy, rending its surroundings just by drawing near.

There was no possible way for a Knightmare to block such a thing, only to jump and evade. But even if Rider avoids being destroyed in one hit, the armor of her Knightmare Frame will still crack under the strain.

_WHOOM!_

Saber tried to deploy a wall of wind as a barrier—but his Noble Phantasm did not even slow down the rampaging beast, as air sizzled, and the sound of immense wings flapping _whump-whump-whump_ fills the sky, the Yamata no Orochi flashing down from high above like a divine wind!

_ZHOOM!_

It buzzed the Knightmare frame, skimming the surface of the ground, the turbulence around it mowing the _**Mark Nemo**_ down with the force of its aura alone, before the great wyrm returned to the sky, turning to come around again.

'_Pursuit is impossible. Without Saber's wind, _**Mark Nemo**_ cannot fly, and still—' _And then an insane idea came into Rider's head as she took note of the tornadoes scattered through the battlefield, remembering an old movie she had seen some time ago. '_That's right…its crazy, but it just might work…if I just want to get airborne.'_

"Hey Saber…hang on tight," the redhead ordered, as the nimble Knightmare Frame took off in a run, blurring into motion as it sprinted towards one of the rust-colored vortices in the distance.

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

Without hesitation, the avatar of Nightmares thundered across the battlefield with speed belied by its size, leaping forward in a frenzied zig-zag-zig toward the largest of the tornadoes, with Rider hoping that her Knightmare's armor would hold up.

From his perch upon the Knightmare's head, Saber reinforced his liquid metal battle tool to keep him from being thrown off as the _**Mark Nemo **_sped towards…

'_There's no way,'_ Li Xingke thought to himself, as his eyes alighted on their destination. _'Even I have done reckless things for victory, but this isn't strategy, this is suicide…'_

"Rider…don't tell me you're going to…" Saber began, wanting to reason with the redhead, but—

"Like I said, Britannia has _no idea_ what this badass mother can do!" was the response, as the Knightmare Frame only increased its pace towards the colossal mesocyclone looming before the duo, the twisting, rotating eye of God that sucked up wind and spat out sheet lightning. "When we get closer, use your wind to protect yourself from debris."

The redhead would not be dissuaded from her course—in momentum, size, force, Rider was outmatched—she could not beat the Yamata no Orochi. All she could do on the ground was to avoid total destruction as best she could, taking a minimum of damage. Thus…

'_I will do the unexpected and pierce the heavens to win…'_

"Our chances of surviving this are not high, you realize," Saber's voice croaks out, though the Servant dressed in white and gold simply hunkered down, sword in hand, knowing that his chance of survival without _**Mark**_ _**Nemo**_ would be even worse.

"Maybe," Kallen answered, as the Yamata no Orochi buzzed them once again, one of the serpent's eight tails lashing out and hurling the Knightmare frame forward. "But it isn't zero. As far as I'm concerned, that means we will succeed."

'_Besides, given that this world is created by Caster, and that I doubt the Britannian Emperor has a complete understanding of the weather, there's actually a strong chance that we'll survive this,'_ Rider kept to herself, just in case she was wrong.

_Crash! Thwack! Clang!_

As Rider advanced, the howling of the wind increased in volume until it was nearly overwhelming, a shriek of terror and pain that would not be denied, as debris from the ground smacked against the Knightmare Frame, as Xingke brought up a cocoon of wind to keep the worst of it from smashing him, pouring all the energy he could into it, mind and body paralyzed, blank before the promotion of death. For not just Saber's garments, but even the fields of wheat, the dirt below, the rocks, and all are shaking and creaking as the wind lifts them up into the air like so much chaff!

_WROOAAAHHH!_

As _**Mark Nemo **_made its final approach into the fierce 400+ mile per hour winds surrounding the tornado, even the Yamata no Orochi peeled away, unwilling to risk itself in the vortex of blindly raging wind that made up the largest of the battlefield's tornadoes.

_Thump! Thump!_

"Whooo—"

And there was liftoff, as the Knightmare Frame was tossed up into the air by what seemed the hammer of the gods, being drawn inward, inward, upward as they spiraled up into the sky, lightning crackling all around them as the black armor was flung round and round and round.

'_By the dragon of the sky…' _Saber thought to himself, keeping a small barrier of wind centered on himself to prevent impact from the free-flying debris. _'I hope I survive this…'_

'_This had better work…' _Rider thought, bracing _**Mark Nemo**_ as rocks impacted her unit's armor, rattling her teeth as the plates were dented, bruised, damaged, with the frame itself obscured from view by the red-hot ironsand. _'I'm only going to have one shot at this…'_

On the observation platform, V.V. just looked on in sheer disbelief as Rider and Saber drove the _**Mark Nemo**_ into the heart of a 2.5 mile wide tornado in a desperate attempt to escape the Yamata no Orochi, wondering just what kind of suicidal Servants had been chosen in this particular Eden Vital War.

'_Then again, if they serve that witch of a Counter Guardian and wish to prevent me from implementing my plan, they must be insane…'_ the eternally young boy thought to himself, signaling the eight-headed dragon to ascend into the clouds once more, just in case the Knightmare Frame did somehow manage to survive.

Back inside the vortex…

"Keep us in the center—we need to gain as much altitude as possible," Rider screamed, her voice hoarse as the mobile armor shook from the stresses and strains the wind was placing upon it, with the KMF spreading its arms and legs wide to expose the maximum amount of surface area for lift. "And once we're up at the top…"

'_Fortunately, there is a lack of large debris, so none of us have been hit by such, yet…'_

"Understood," Saber replied, pulling himself very close to the back of the _**Mark Nemo**_ to prevent being blown away—literally, his liquid metal slash harkens emerging from ankles and wrists to sticking into the Knightmare. "I will…execute to the best of my ability."

Round and round and round they swirled, moving up up up the spiral vacuum of the howling wind, speed accelerating, accelerating, accelerating, until at last—

"NOW!"

—a gust of wind altered the Knightmare Frame's velocity just a hair, as it slingshotted out, lofted out of the tornado and up into the parent storm at terrifying speeds—exactly what Rider had been hoping for, since now she was above the Yamata no Orochi and out of sight.

"_**NNGGHH?"**_

A frustrated growl from below, as the dark shimmer of scales was revealed through a minor opening in the clouds, and immense wings beat a syncopated rhythm in the air as it searched for the little Knightmare, ascending—

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Clang!_

—with Blonde Knives shooting out, cables wrapping around one of the center heads, as the _**Mark Nemo**_ plummeted down into an open, roaring mouth, guided by Xingke's local mastery over wind, jamming the Knightmare Frame's vibro-katana up into the upper jaw to keep it open, with the frame bracing the jaw with all its might.

_Riippp! _

'_At this range, it can't use its powerful beam weapon…'_

"You know the plan…disengage your tether and use your control of wind to stay aloft," Rider ordered, her fingers hovering over two switches in the cockpit of her ultimate Knightmare. "You'll know the signal when you see it…"

_Click! Click!_

Without a word, Xingke disengaged his links to the _**Mark Nemo**_ and flipped back and away, retracting his liquid metal battle tools as he summoned a barrier of wind about himself, carrying him out of the mouth.

Rider took a deep breath, depressing one switch, then another as a 10-count countdown began, numbers red in the Knightmare's viewscreens, before promptly ejecting herself from the frame, a rocket motor kicking in to move her as far away from the frame as was possible.

Farther, father, farther…then—

"_**Broken Phantasm: Mark Nemo!" **_

At Rider's words, the cockpitless Knightmare exploded as though every square inch were packed with liquid sakuradite, a mighty sphere of devastation burst into being, engulfing the dragon's gargantuan head in blinding silver light from within, utterly destroying the head in which it had been parked, as well as part of the neck.

'_While the scales of the Yamata no Orochi were certainly tough, difficult for anything to penetrate,' _Rider allowed, witnessing the aftermath of her greatest attack,_ 'this resistance applies from both sides, keeping the full effect of the explosion from diffusing, allowing the concentrated shock waves to vaporize the head, and a radius around it.'_

A gaping hole was exposed where the windpipe had been, with the other heads taking notice of the swordsman floating in the air on a column of wind.

"_**AROUUGHAAAA!" **_the remaining seven-heads snarled out, magical energy charging out for a blast incomparable even to the one from before—

'_An opening!_' Saber observed with no emotion, using his barrier of wind to slip through the opening in the dragon's defenses with the speed of a meteor, racing down an open windpipe from an explosively decapitated head, sword drawn and slashing through the long neck with ease as he found himself in the lungs. _'And no creature is well defended against attack…from within.'_

Within, the battered Servant of the sword is surrounded by a moist darkness, with the wind centered on him turning into a raging tempest as the final seals fell from the glowing sword, revealing its golden light. Quickly, he poured what magical energy remained in him into the sword, filling it to its limit in mere seconds, until in his hands was an assembly of the planet's light, evocative of the holy sword matched only by Excalibur.

"_**Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi!" **_he bellowed, invoking the true name of his blade to release a miracle into the world!

What emerged was a line of light, a blade that exploded outward and sliced apart the Yamata no Orochi from within, tearing through the dragon's hide, parting the clouds in its wake, as a raging gale swirled around the injured Saber, who turned now, growling under his breath, to the two figures on the observation platform—the ones who were the source of this world.

'_Now…I will end you!' _the Servant of the sword thought to himself, charging the _**Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi **_for a final strike as he shot forward, desiring to get in range to deliver a finishing blow.

On the great black gear that formed the viewing platform, V.V.'s eyes widened in shock, his blood running cold as he witnessed the demise of the greatest dragon in Japanese legend, with Servant Saber emerging from the remains with his glowing sword.

'_How can this be? In legend, the Yamata no Orochi, which in legend was unmatched in battle, defeated only by trickery (involving adamantine gates, vats upon vats of alcohol, a fair amount of gluttony, and being slaughtered in it sleep). So how can these weak Servants…'_

Still, the _**Mark Nemo**_ was nowhere to be seen, and Rider's presence in the field was very faint, so V.V. supposed that they could deal with her later, is weak, so we will deal with her later. First though…

"Charles, take care of Saber, would you?" the young immortal asked, seething inside as he flipped past a charred and blackened page in his grimoire _**De Vermis Mysteriis**_, seeking to summon a set of four dragons this time. "I will show these Servants the might of the Four Dragon Kings…since four is death in their culture, is it not?"

"Very well then," replied Emperor Charles zi Britannia, raising one of his large, hammerlike hands as he narrowed his eyes, ceasing all movement as if to summon strength.

_Bzzzzzzzzzt!_

Strangely enough, the expanse of air centered on Saber began to waver, the world pulsing as energy was leeched from the surrounding storm, the atmosphere growing tense and heavy as Caster did his work.

Noting this, Saber slowed, looking around to see if an ambush was nigh, expanding his barrier of wind as he sought to protect himself from any untoward incursion into his personal space.

"You are truly a strong Servant," V.V. spoke aloud, pitching his childish voice to be heard by the oncoming swordsman. "However, you cannot win against me, because I have something you lack."

The pressure of the air continued to intensify, as the wavering grew more and more powerful, the solidity of the world itself beginning to be called into question.

"You know, don't you, Saber," came the voice of the taunting immortal. "Right, it is the experience of death. I have seen the other side and thus know what death is…but you do not. That is the difference between us. You humans are afraid of the unknown, and so you fear death…knowing that no matter how long-lived you are, how mighty you become, you cannot escape its inevitability. You gain so much power by resisting death, but at the same time it is the source of your weakness. You run away from death whereas I accept it."

Saber only grunted, trying to close in through the entrapping air, but found that his own wind was being negated, his barriers failing as the air around him thickened to the density of molasses.

"I know about death," V.V. chuckled, his teeth revealed in a feral grin. "about the darkness. The nothingness which I have journeyed through so many times…to me, death is little more than a common ritual. Even if you destroy this body right here, I'll still remain in this world. Why don't you understand it's useless to fight me?"

But the swordsman was defiant, unrelenting in his approach as he hefted his golden sword, intoning its true name to—

"_**Ama-no-Murakumo-no—"**_

And then all the air around Saber bled away in an instant, leaving the Servant of the sword incapable of invoking the power of his Noble Phantasm.

"Alright," noted V.V. "Well then, since you insist on challenging me…I will reward your resistance. Charles?"

A shallow nod from the Britannian Emperor, as the air buzzed and hissed like a thousand angry wasps.

_**Crack!**_

The sound of the air itself ripping apart, as the warping of the atmosphere propagated through the Phantasm World.

The entire world pulsed.

The waves of wheat, the tornadoes, the rain, the clouds, the air itself—they transmuted themselves into roiling waves as if they were a shredder with tens, hundreds, thousands, no, a countless number of blades!

"_**Tsuru**_—" Saber managed in the brief moment air returns, but in vain.

In a single instant, the Servant's body disappeared—distorted, sliced, compressed, ripped apart to its component atoms.

And then all ceased, and the Phantasmal World was returned to a blank white expanse, revealing a bleeding Rider crawling out of her crashed cockpit, all that remained of the now vanished _**Mark Nemo.**_

_'So...you Britannian bastards resort to this, do you? Attacking from a distance, mocking your foes even in death? You summon minions to fight for you, use spells and arcane lore, attack the innocent along with the guilty? That's the the coward's path so...well then...I'll just have to kill you both!'_

The redhead glowered at the two with hatred in her eyes, standing defiantly against V.V. and Caster as her crimson hair rippled like snakes hungry for life force, uncountable strands of hair-like light pulsing about her form.

_Whoosh!_

A powerful surge of red emanated from Rider's form, prehensile strands of fiery thread streaking out towards the two figures in her view, as if to capture them in a web of burning death, to plunder their lives!

_Sizzle!_

Moving at the speed of sight, the caging hair shot out and enveloped V.V.'s form, enveloping the immortal in a haze of flame, the pain maddening to bear, as Rider's gaze moved from him to—

"Charles!"

_Crunch! Crash! Slash!_

Without warning, jagged spikes erupted from the ground under Rider, but Kallen had sensed the killing intent and leapt out of the way, regrettably breaking eye contact with her targets as the environment itself became her enemy, as—

_Bzzzt!_

Once again the atmosphere thickened, becoming more buoyant, the pressure holding her up from the ground and preventing her from moving, the air pressure increasing, increasing, choking—

_Flash!_

With a burst of light, V.V. vaporized the strands of caging hair that had seared him, fury in his eyes as he continued to incant his summoning spell, intending to call upon the might of the four guardian dragons of the cardinal directions, as Caster made ready to vaporize the body of the one who had allied herself with C.C.

"Now, foul Servant, vanish from this—"

_WHOOSH! _

Twin beams of heat and light surged outward from a massive dislocation in space, as dual Hadron Cannons shattered the formerly featureless wall of the expanse, revealing the black and gold painted Knightmare Frame called the Gawain, with the unholy form of Avenger perched upon its shoulder, eyes glowing ominously as shadows shifted all around, gunblades pointed at the immobile Caster and V.V.

"_**Reason – Ultima Ratio Regum!"**_

The harsh baritone of the demon king called out into the void, as he flipped off from the Knightmare into the air, invoking the true power of his gunblade Noble Phantasms.

_Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!_

Tracers of fire, crimson and azure, blazed out, striking at V.V. and Caster and shattering the concentration of the two on their spells.

"_**Atonement - Ordo ab Chao!"**_

_Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!_

The twin gunblades disgorged round after round on fully automatic rates of bullet spam, hurling a lethal amount of silver slugs into the air as the V.V. and Caster, forced to split their focus, could not fully dodge, finding themselves grazed by one round each—Caster taking a shot through his hands, and V.V. clipped on the shoulder.

Angered by this, Caster attempted to shift the world to his will with Marble Phantasm, but—

"Wh—at? It's not…how dare you seal my Marble Phantasm!"

No effect.

_Thump!_

Avenger's shadowed form touched down upon the floor, as more and more bullets were shot out, followed by Slash Harkens from the Knightmare above, with Caster and the immortal blond boy having to choose between one or the other to block.

Since their physical bodies were present—it was much wiser to block the Knightmare's power as—

_WHOOSH! _

Once again, twin beams of heat and light surged outward from a massive dislocation in space, as dual Hadron beams sought their enemies—only for V.V. to teleport along with Charles—

_Crack!_

Right into the path of a storm of flechettes loosed by the demon king, with the two barely managing to block in time as—

_Fwoosh!_

The sound of flames, as V.V. looked down at his _**De Vermis Mysteriis**_, to look on in horror as the tome burned to a crisp, the pages all charred and blacken, the power of his grimoire now unusable.

For that was the true power of Avenger's gunblade, '_**Atonement - Ordo ab Chao'**_, a weapon with the power to seal away an opponent's greatest weapon upon a successful hit—even if that hit was but a graze. While this meant that the Wraith of Vengeance would be unable to use his greatest Noble Phantasm _**Fragarach, **_it also meant that the opponent had the same disadvantage.

"_**LELOUCHHHHHHHHH!" **_V.V. howled in primal fury, as he brought up a shield of light against the bullets. "Charles, finish—ahhh!"

But he was rudely interrupted when the floor gave out under his feet, smoke and dust filling the room.

_Crack, fssh, ripppp!_

With Caster unable to stop it, knots and lines of darkness raced through the phantasm world, as the expanse collapsed around them, this illusionary realm splintering little by little, until it broke apart with a deafening roar, revealing the Sword of Akasha in all its glory. On the far side of the Sword of Akasha, Rider staggered to her feet, badly injured after her near brushes with death, resolving to finish things here.

_Thump!_

The sound of a cockpit hissing open, as C.C. buzzed in towards the helical spear and used her powers as Code-bearer to extract the hostages, switching places with the princess and the orangette, and setting them inside the cockpit of the _Gawain_ as she leapt out, frozen scythe drawn, ready for battle.

_Flash!_

A burst of crimson light, and the black and gold Knightmare shot far away into the expanse of the World of C, with an angry Grey Witch staring down her opponents. She would return them to the physical world if and when the battle was over—until then, it was safer to be here, mentally.

"So you have come here at last, Counter Guardian," V.V. spat in a voice filled with hate. "And once again, you bring your pet demon, the creature that is the manifestation of all the evils of the world."

"So I have, V.V., you little immortal brat," replied the Grey Witch, her scythe glinting dangerously in the eternal twilight. "And it seems you have summoned forth your other Noble Phantasm…"

"Of course," V.V. mocked, scoffing at the Reaper in White. "For what wretched hero would only have one object to mark their legend?"

C.C.'s lips pressed together in a thin line as she raised her scythe in salute.

"A being that only ever needed one to begin with," answers the Reaper in White, blurring into motion as she charged, form ablaze with silver light, metallic clangs ringing out as the two Code-bearers clashed, their wills warring to the bitter end. "Let this be the end, V.V."

"So be it, Counter Guardian," V.V. hissed, springing backwards, anger upon his childlike features as he drew a set of silver war fans. "Let's finish our grudge once and for all."

_Clang! Clang! Clink!_

Knowing that any magic he used would be countered, the immortal boy sought physical dominance instead, aiming to get inside her reach, his twin war fans blocking, striking, crashing, pitting speed against strength, skill against power.

But they were not the only ones confronting each other in the heart of the world…

"My prodigal son, it has been a long time," boomed Caster, glowering fiercely at the raven-haired prince, raising his hands. "Why are you here?"

"So it has, Charles zi Britannia," Avenger hissed, his eyes like embers as he aimed his gunblades at his father's heart. "You…you and V.V. have taken everything from me. "Mother. Nunnally. My friends. Everything. You sent us to Japan as hostages. And now…you will pay!"

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

Tracers of light and fire blazed out once again, but this time, met with a conventional magical barrier, of the sort of magic all Casters knew, since that class was not usually one to rely on Noble Phantasms.

"It was necessary, my son," Charles intoned, but the response was only a fierce snarl, and more bullets shot as the demon advanced on his father.

"Necessary?ǃ Necessary for what?ǃ What kind of parent does that?" raged the Wraith of Vengeance, his footfalls growing ever nearer as— "Ugh!

—a magical circle blazed into existence before Charles, spitting out verdant bolts of death towards Avenger, who was thrown back by the torrent of energy released.

"Masks will vanish, then everyone can be exactly who they're supposed to be," Caster boomed, even as scythe met war fans around them, and V.V. summoned doppelgangers of himself to oppose the Grey Witch. "For the sake of a wish, to create a world free of lies!"

"But is that not the greatest lie of all…a world without lies? That is a world without dreams, a world without surprise, a world without tomorrows," Lelouch snarled, the cloak of shadow around him drinking in the power around it as claws lengthened from his fingers, and his teeth sharpened. "You killed so many, threw everyone away for the sake of your _LIE?ǃ I won't let you take anyone else away from me!"_

"People are not equal!" bellowed Charles zi Britannia, as energy lanced out at the false Servant. "Come, _**Knights of the Round**_!"

Twelve Knights in full ceremonial plate armor arose from the ground to challenge the oncoming Avenger, their forms gleaming silver in the eternal twilight of the World of C as they moved to engage him, surrounding him on all sides, moving in a coordinated fashion to finish him as—

_Clang!_

One of these Knights was incinerated by a torrent of red, with Servant Rider moving in to join the battle against these phantasms, eyes glinting, chained daggers whirring through the air.

"Tch! I'll handle these cheap imitations of Knights, Avenger," Kallen said, casting a baleful glare at the Britannian Emperor, releasing a surge of hair-like strands, which the man moved to block. "You settle things with _him."_

"Got it, Q-1," Avenger nodded, the speed and power of infinite wrath flowing into him as he vaulted over the phantasmal knights to face the man who had been responsible for so much pain in so many lives, a man against whom the world cried out for vengeance.

"This is my territory, my prodigal son," Caster intoned, his deep bass rumbling over the metallic clangs in the distance. "Do you really think you can stop me here? You are laboring under delusion…for the sake of my wish, if you will stand in my way, then you too must die."

"Oh, so you want to kill me now, do you, just like you killed mother, and Nunnally?" snarked the demon king. "Just like you did nothing while V.V. did your dirty work for you? You despicable coward…hiding behind your minions…you and your immortal master…you betrayed me—and I shall repay that betrayal. You wish to kill me? Come on then, _let us kill each other, Charles zi Britannia_! Face me...like a king!"

A surge of motion, a flurry of verdant bolts, a hail of flechettes.

"_**LELOUCHHHHHHHHH!"**_ came the Britannian Emperor's howl, as battle was joined in the heart of the world.

* * *

**A/N**: And so it begins, the duel of those who wish for tomorrow, with those who seek only to destroy a mask. Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated!


	38. End of a Dream

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

**

* * *

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**Sword of Akasha**

Floating in a world of clouds with no land or sky in sight was a structure like temple, the focal point of all consciousnesses that lay within the World of C. It was this place that had given rise to the legends of Olympus, the depictions of Heaven, and all those other conceptions of what a home of the gods was supposed to be—and it was this place that a fierce battle raged for the fate of humanity, Servants facing off the ground below as two Code-bearers warred in the sky, each intent on eliminating the other's flawed existence.

"Let this be the end, V.V.!" intoned the Reaper in White, her white dress flapping in the winds as she charged, step-step taking off as she sprang into the air, scythe ablaze with azure light, poised to cleave her foe in twain.

"So be it, Counter Guardian," the eternally young V.V. hissed, springing backwards, anger upon his childlike features as he drew a set of silver war fans. "Let's finish our grudge once and for all. _**Laevateinn!"**_

A fierce cry tore from V.V.'s throat as he and the weapons in his hands were wreathed in crimson flames, and with the boy leaping from the ground, shooting at the Grey Witch like a bolt of lightning—

_Clang! Fwoosh!_

—only to be met in mid-air by the scythe wielding Reaper in White, her eyes instantly noting the nature of her opponent's Noble Phantasm as the two clashed, pushed apart, rebounded, meeting in a whirling dervish of sparks, steel, and fire.

_Crash! Clink!_

The ground rapidly faded away and out of sight, with the clashes occurring at higher and higher altitudes as the dueling immortals blazed brilliant paths of illumination in the sky, shooting up higher and higher towards the eye watching over all, needing no footholds as they flew higher with magical energy alone.

_Swish! Crunch!_

Scythe and war-fans, Counter Guardian and destroyer, the two figures clashed, warring for dominance in an almost purely physical struggle that allowed no room for spells, bullets, or other ranged attacks, with the two pitting every bit of time and skill they had to smite the other, with a speed that could not be perceived by a merely human eye.

Only their afterimages were barely visible, a circus of death invisible to normal beings, as sounds of metal against metal rang out in the distance. C.C., the Reaper in White that had existed since the time of Atlantis, was the stronger of the two, and the more experienced, to boot—but the battlefield favored V.V., as they fought within the territory of V.V.'s Servant Caster, increasing Caster and V.V.'s abilities twofold.

_Whirrrrrrr!_

The air sang as a powerful slice of a war fan sliced at Zero's temple, but C.C. anticipated this, smashing the haft of her scythe into the gut of her immortal enemy—simultaneously lashing out with her foot to attack temple and side, two vital points at once.

_Thud!_

But V.V. only smirked as he fell back, dodging aside as he pointed both of his tessen forward, crossing his arms as he chanted under his breath, a magical circle revealed as—

"_**Jörmungandr!"**_

—an enormous serpent of fire surged from the portal, a curse that would bind an opponent's limbs—but C.C. only narrowed her eyes, whirling her glowing scythe as an impromptu shield, as innumerable shards of ice lanced out, slicing the serpent to ribbons as she countercharged, flash-stepping through the air and slamming the blade down upon her enemy at nearly point blank range.

"Guh!"

Desperately, V.V. twisted his body to dodge the blow, avoiding most of the damage, but still taking a stinging graze wound in his side as he shot away, his aura of flames cauterizing the wound, which did not heal as other wounds would.

_Dodge, weave, parry, block._

In response to another murmured summoning, serpents of fire lashed out from all around, moving in a literal blur towards the Reaper in White as V.V. struck, with blades, with feet, with armored hands…but through it all, C.C. held on, although her mind and body were already stressed from her efforts before the fight began.

"You may draw power from Gaia, Witch," V.V. taunted, his face contorting with frenzied rage as his war fans extended into flaming swords, crashing down through the air to bisect the Grey Witch's form. "But this is not your world—rather a territory isolated from the flow of the world, born of Caster's will. You can oppose me all you wish, but you know you cannot win, for in the end you are merely a stranger in this age, Reaper, an unwanted shadow of the past. Accept your defeat, for I am peace."

_Fsssh!_

But the swords were caught on a scythe spun as a shield, the silver light of the Reaper's weapon surging out as it touched her foe's blades, extinguishing the flames and returning them to their previous form as tessens, with C.C. following up by driving her magically reinforced knee into V.V.'s crotch at full force.

"Ha—guh…" the eternally young boy reeled, doubling over in agony from the blow as he tried to put as much distance between him and his adversary as possible. Occasionally, even when one was an immortal fighting with Noble Phantasms, crystallizations of legends, conventional techniques still worked surprisingly well. "You…monster…"

A quiet, lilting laugh from the lips of the Reaper in White.

"I have been called that, yes," C.C. spoke, her jaw setting as she recalled some rather…unpleasant memories, shaking them off as she barreled forward, attacking from both sides and above, arcing from every direction as one unbound by gravity, her long green hair swaying like a comet's tail. "So your innate magic is that of illusions—interesting for a brat who wishes to create a world free of lies, when you yourself _are_ a lie."

V.V. was smaller and thus should be more agile, more able to evade but—

_Pow!_

Once again, attacks were launched, with the boy taking a kick in the gut, kneecap, chest, before he managed to defend himself. For while V.V. might be more powerful in this realm, C.C. was by far the more experienced in battle, having survived twelve long millennia of endless war, slogging through battlefields one after another, protecting those who could not protect themselves, as she moved forward relentlessly, her body blurring in many different directions at once as she headed towards her foe.

"As you maintain the lie that those who fail should be protected?" V.V. snarled out, war fans whirring through the air as if to flick the Reaper away, mumbling once more as four copies of the young immortal split from the boy's main body to confront the Reaper in White, each wielding two flaming whipswords. "Believing that you can make a difference, even while consorting with all the evils of the world, while you can barely protect yourself?"

_Clang! Clink!_

"If I do not, then who will, little Faker?" C.C. asked, crimson sigil on her forehead flaring as she increased speed, strength, agility, whirling to strike one, then another of the illusionary copies. "For I am the blade of my scythe that tends the harvest…"

The four doppelgangers veer away in different directions, perfectly coordinated as they drew the Grey Witch's attention, whipswords lashing out one-two-three—_Blocked! _Four-five-six—_dodged_! Seven-eight—snaring the scythe and pulling it aside, creating a momentary opening for V.V.!

"Giyah!" the immortal boy howled, extending the war fans in his hands into fiery swords once more as he slashed at his opponent, jamming one, then another into the Grey Witch's sides and—

_BOOM!_

—detonating them, blasting shrapnel and molten steel into Zero's innards, blowing the older Code-bearer back as she grit her teeth, focusing her power on healing her wound, pulling back while avoiding decisive blows.

"What's wrong, Counter Guardian?" V.V. sneered derisively, materializing his war fans once again, his four doppelgangers ready to move at his command. "Are you unwilling to fight after your bold declaration?"

It didn't matter for the eternally young boy, since he was rather certain that Caster would prevail over Avenger and Rider—in this special territory, Caster's power was supreme, even with his Marble Phantasm sealed away. Thus all V.V. needed to do was to keep his fellow immortal in check, preventing her from intervening below—and when Charles finished off the Witch's minions, the Grey Witch would fall simply enough.

C.C. had rather more faith in her allies, but was unwilling to leave things to chance, even in her injured state.

"…shadowed is my soul and geassed my heart," the Reaper in White chanted softly, as azure light blazed into being around her form once more and she attacked, eyes narrowing as she drew upon the power of the Code to heighten her abilities. "…having walked through the ages untouched by time…"

_Clang! Crash! Whirr! Slash!_

In the sky, sparks flew, raining down upon the battlefield below, where Servants sought in earnest to kill each other for the sake of their individual wishes, with Rider facing off against Caster's summoned Phantasmal Knights, while Avenger stood against Caster himself, intending to kill his father with his own hands.

'_Grr…this is irritating…so many of them,'_ Rider thought to herself, as she used her chained daggers in an attempt to keep eleven knights in full ceremonial plate armor at bay, with those armored golems moving to engage her, surrounding her on all sides in a spinning life or death formation as—

_Thump!_

Kallen's shapely legs slammed against the granite surface of the ancient temple as she leapt high into the air for a better vantage point, from which—

_WHOOSH!_

—a torrent of red heat could lash out, incinerating yet another of the phantasmal creatures—or rather, plundering every last scrap of mana from it to refill her nearly empty reserves. In the fight against the Yamata no Orochi, the redhead had been forced to turn her _**Mark Nemo**_ into a broken Phantasm, imbuing into it nearly all the mana she had.

'_And now I have to fight off these armored phantasmal Knights…what is it with Britannian royalty and hiding behind their soldiers, anyway? Cowards, all of them…well, except Lelouch, I guess.'_

Not that Servant Avenger was the most courageous warrior, by any means, or the strongest, for that matter, but as far as Kallen had seen, the outcast prince did not hesitate to take wounds if necessary, to place his life on the line—as he had even in their first encounter long ago.

'_And that's why…I can trust him,'_ the redhead thought as she bore with the pain that wracked her body, unleashing a violent roundhouse kick on these so-called "Knights of the Round." _'Anyway I beat the __**real **__Knight of One, so these little imitations don't stand a chance_!'

Still, she conceded, there were quite a few of them, and though individually fairly weak, these phantasmal knights could be difficult in their large numbers, as they swept in, swords drawn, intending to cut Rider down where she stood.

'_Not if I have anything to say about it!'_

And with that, the redhead's lithe form danced into action, lashing, spinning, striking all at once as the wounded warrior sought to isolate and eliminate one at a time.

While Rider was holding off these illusionary warriors, however…

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

Tracers of light and fire blazed out, marking the path of a hail of flechettes aiming for Caster's heart, gut, head—projectiles blocked by a field of raw magical energy, batted away by a wave of the Emperor's hand as Avenger charged, his feet _tap-tap-tapp_ing against the cold granite of the megalithic temple.

"Fool," sneered Charles zi Britannia, light wavering around his form like a mirage as the man brought up his hand, pointing it at his errant son.

_Blam! Blam! Blam! _

Three bullets of light shot out in a second, each carrying enough magical energy to blow a body to pieces—but Avenger pressed forward, using his gunblades to deflect the shots away from him into the pillars of the temple as his footsteps echoed faster faster faster.

'_20 meters…since he is a Caster, proficient with magic, no doubt if I get in close, I can stab him and be done with it!'_

With the speed and power granted by the infinite wrath within him, Avenger charged with a bestial roar, footsteps sprinting across the granite floor as his gunblades blazed, zig-zagging in an attempt to dodge—

_Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!_

Faster the magical bullets came, in a rain without pause, the force of the attacks no different than the concussive shock of bombs, as numerous magical circles open in front of Caster and fire off one after another like a massive magical Gatling gun.

_Clang! Crash!_

'_Too many of them to block…'_ Avenger thought, jumping high into the air, unloading a hail of bullets towards the magical missiles, tracers of light streaking out to—

_BOOM! FWOOSH!_

—strike one of the larger looking spells, detonating it in mid-air, with the shockwave hurling aside some of the other magical projectiles, clearing out a small safe zone for the Servant to use as he rushed forward in a wave of darkness.

"A gunblade? What an inelegant weapon to use in this grand temple," Caster scoffed, switching tactics as he brought his hands together, myriad orbs of madder light gathered between them—then blasted outwards towards the demon!

_Whirr-whirr-whirr!_

Zig-zag-zag-zig was the path Avenger took as he continued to get closer, closer, closer to his target, letting the power of the all-consuming rage take over him as—

_Squelch!_

—five of Caster's bolts pierced Lelouch's body like fatal thorns, lancing through his gut and limbs—but his wounds were sealed by a malevolent Shadow which pulsed from within him, seeping out in place of blood or other vital fluids.

"Heh, so you have given in to your instincts as a beast, become an animal," mocked Charles zi Britannia, seemingly irked by his prodigal son's survival, as light blazed, his hands tracing an intricate pattern before him in a ward of binding, aiming to stop the oncoming demon once and for all, all the while maintaining his barrage of spells.

'_10 meters—wha?'_

And then the shadowed form of Avenger was frozen in mid-step, as a powerful net of light slammed into him, with the dark Servant unable to block it.

Hollow, mocking laughter rang out over the battlefield as Charles zi Britannia's eyes regarded the outcast prince who had dared to oppose him.

"So how does it feel, Lelouch vi Britannia, my errant son?" the man rebuked, his deep bass sounding like he had already won, ringing out as he prepared a final volley of homing bolts to finish off the dark Servant. "This is the end…once I deal with you, I may eliminate Rider and then proceed to claim the Code of the Grey Witch. I do not know what you hoped to achieve with your futile actions, but this is goodbye for you."

_Rage. Overwhelming rage. Rage that knew no bounds._

Caster raised his left arm, preparing to release five bullets of light to tear Avenger's body to shreds.

But right before that happened, the demon muttered something.

"Hm? What is it, former princeling?" asked a bombastic Charles zi Britannia. "If you are begging for your life and wish to join me, I may just—"

"_**RAAAGHHHHH!"**_

The frozen space shattered in an instant, as a gout of molten fire forged of Avenger's infinite magical energy shot from his body, streaking up into the sky, with the shadowy form of the demon striding out of it, razor sharp teeth bared at his prey.

'_5 meters…'_

"I am not your son, Charles zi Britannia, for that man died when you killed Nunnally!" the demon bellows, breaking through the prison of spells with a headlong rush, leaving a sound like splintering glass behind him. "No, I am Avenger, a sword sworn to retribution for past wrongs! And the people you have harmed throughout the world…shall be avenged."

"A country—nay, the world is just a possession. If he cannot rule over everything, there is no need for a transcendental being like the king!" Caster said, sneering at the exiled prince's immaturity, "Your failure to understand that is why you were cast out—weakling."

"Heh, so I was," the Wraith of Vengeance hissed menacingly, "But Charles zi Britannia, that is why you have destroyed your country! _**Broken Phantasm…**_"

A black light sped towards Caster, the air shaking as its glowing form spun through the ether, revealing itself to be—

"A gunbla—"

Hastily, Caster raised the most powerful shield he could, casting a set of spells to try to send the object speeding away, but—

"_**Reason**_ – _**Ultima Ratio Regum**_!" Avenger screamed, hurling away his _**Reason,**_ one of his paired gunblades that was his primary means of attack, as the weapon distorted space itself in its flight, heading right for Caster, as—

_**BOOOOOOOM!**_

A sphere of devastation erupted into being, its overwhelming power overloading Caster's defenses, erasing his cast offensive spells, sending the Britannian Emperor sprawling to the ground. His robes were scattered and torn, and part of the body under the robes was wounded by shrapnel, but—

"Die here!" Avenger intoned, charging at the man like the wind, attacking without any heed for himself, bringing his remaining gunblade down upon the hapless magus, slashing with a power that should have split Caster in two.

_Charge. Stop. Slash!_

Having repelled Caster's onslaught and torn apart the mage's shields, Avenger settled the match without giving his opponent a moment to recover, charging in and slashing at his father's neck, but—

_Thwack!_

'_What the…?'_

Bewilderment caused the demon king to stagger, as in the aftermath of the demon's assault, Caster was still standing, the serrated edge of Avenger's gunblade caught by an upraised hand, with whips and chains of liquid metal surging out of Caster's body.

"You…"

Mocking laughter and a smug smile—his weapon was stopped by his enemy as though it was nothing.

"You underestimated me, demon," rumbled Charles zi Britannia, his voice deep as if coming from the ground.

Instantly, Avenger's body moved, trying to pull his gunblade free with all his might.

_Crack-crack-crack!_

Tracers of azure flame blasted out at Caster at point blank range, but to no effect, the bullets simply bouncing off the Servant's hand as the Emperor _moved._

At that instant—

"Gah—?ǃ"

—an impact like a hurricane struck the demon's side, tossing his body away. In his experience, this was Avenger's first time seeing a Servant block a weapon with his bare hands—then…could this attack too be an attack with bare hands?

_Whoosh! Whirr! _

Trusting his instincts, Avenger dodged, feeling a surge of air pressure as something flew past his temple…his father's fist.

'_Could he have…strengthened it with magic?' _ the demon asked himself in shock, eyes narrowing as he took a step backward, in time to avoid a bearlike paw smashing for his face. In hand to hand combat, Avenger was at a disadvantage at close range against an unarmed opponent, particularly given the strength differential.

"Surprised?" asked Charles zi Britannia, whose visage Lelouch wanted nothing more than to see splattered across the floor. "As a Caster, I have no weaknesses—I can even reinforce my body to deal with vermin like you!"

Avenger, not one to quietly endure boasts by his enemies, stood up, unleashing a torrent of lead upon his father, but the Britannian Emperor simply blocked it with a glowing barrier as he advanced, with Lelouch laying down covering fire as he sought to retreat out of striking range when—

_Smash! Cra—ack!_

—the full force of a mana-infused fist smashed him through the solar plexus

"Ha—guh!" Avenger gasped, breathing out as the full force of the impact registered, along with the crunching of what was probably some of his ribs giving way.

_Whack! Thud! Crunch!_

As if the product of an evil machine, the impacts continued relentlessly, a rain of human fists targeting his vital points faster than the demon can react. By the time Lelouch realized that Caster's mountain-like fingers were the cause of the impact, it was already too late to defend, as the fists showered down upon the Wraith of Vengeance, fired in rapid succession with a heaviness and intensity as if they were made of iron.

_Crack-a-crack-a-crack!_

A wave of bullets lanced out at the Emperor, but were swept aside by what seemed like a flame haze, rendered useless as the magus countered with almost invisible attacks that struck at Avenger's weak points, allowing no counterattack.

All he could do (and did) at that moment was to protect his head, as his bones, his organs, his muscles and ligaments were pulverized under the ruthless assault.

"Guh—ha—ah!"

Even Avenger's arms and legs were targeted, with the pain burning through to his core even through the molten numbness of anger that protects him, with his opponent's arms changing direction unpredictably, using the elbow as the fulcrum, beating the demon from impossible directions.

'_This is…this is…his strength is comparable to Berserker's…'_

In all his battles, this was something that he had never predicted, never thought possible—how should what was happening be expressed? Arms flexible as a whip, moving at right angles, almost like a whipsword—or a snake.

'_I do realize that we draw heavily from Arthurian lore for our mythos, but really?' _Avenger snarled, gritting his teeth, trying to bring his gunblade up to block, as spikes of shadow extended from his body in an attempt to defend himself.

_Pow! Thud!_

Each impact left a sharp but dull pain—not an instant kill, but causing wounds that would lead to death all the same, the pain numbing his mind every time he received a blow.

_Scrape!_

Following up on his battering of Avenger, Caster kicked off the ground, plowing straight for Avenger, a superpowered fist swinging for the back of the demon's head like the scythe of the Reaper.

"Ha!"

But this one Lelouch avoided instinctively, falling back to do so, skidding back—accepting a momentary tactical setback that he might live, slashing his gunblade down—though empty space, as his enemy disappeared from his view in an instant—

_Crunch! _

—smashing the demon's collarbone with a deft elbow, following up by crouching and slamming a leg into Avenger's stomach, tossing the raven-haired prince into the air as a second leg swept down to smash the dark Servant's head!

_Whoos—craaack!_

But, sensing the fatal blow, Avenger instantly moved his neck to avoid it, with the impact landing on his shoulder instead with a sickening sound of bones bring crushed. Losing most of the rest of his body is survivable, but even for a demon, having his head smashed would be fatal.

"Guh!"

Growling, Avenger glared at his enemy with his left shoulder destroyed, his spine freezing the moment he did so.

"Heh, was that all?" asked Charles zi Britannia, moving back half his body, bringing his other arm—hardly used until now, releasing it like a cannon at the height of Avenger's throat!

_Whirr!_

Unlike the other attacks, all lines and curves and whirls, this one was executed as a point, a thrusting fist aimed with power and precision to pierce the throat, break the bone, smash the head to pieces!

_Crunch!_

But it missed—or rather, Avenger barely managed to bring his arms up to block, deflecting the snake like fist so that it just grazed past the side of his neck. In this opening caused by momentary overextension, the demon tried to step in and jam his blade into his father's throat, but—

_Bam! Squelch!_

The mountain-like fingers of Caster's hand snaked out, digging into the dark Servant's neck, as the shock passed through Avenger as a shudder—but perhaps it should not be so surprising, as a hand was originally something used to grab, not to punch.

"Guuu—aahhhh…!" the exiled prince screamed, frantically bringing up his gunblade and claws of shadow, moving to cut off the arm before his neck was crushed—but he was unable to finish his attack.

_Wham!_

The moment before Avenger swung, his body was flung away like a used dishrag, flying through the air to—

_Crash!_

—smash into one of the Doric pillars of the temple-like megastructure at a speed that should have reduced his organs to mush, leaving the demonic Servant on the verge of death, his skin all but scraped off, body held together only by spikes of shadow and flame underneath, knitting his body together. His head swam—there was not an inch of the body that didn't hurt, not an inch that wanted to move.

From his vantage point in the distance, Caster only smirked as he observed his handiwork, turning to eliminate the rouge Servant Rider, who was still battling with his phantasmal knights, having whittled their number down to six—which was impressive for one so injured.

"Your ally has fallen, Servant Rider," the bass voice of Charles zi Britannia rumbled, raising his hand and launching bullets of light, _one-two-three four_ to lance out at and converge upon the last proper Servant.

_Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! _

Perhaps it was unreasonable to use so much effort against an already wounded foe, but—

"Wha—?"

A sudden hiss of irritated surprise, as Caster noted that his attack had failed.

Hearing the _crash _and seeing the column of smoke, Rider had assumed the worst, instantly bringing up her _**Origami**_ caging hair as an impromptu shield, with uncountable strands of hair-like light pulsing around her form in a shroud of heat and haze.

Annoyed by this show of defiance, Caster lashed out at the redhead with a powerful net of light slammed into him, sealing the space around her and beginning to drain it of mana—so that Rider found she could not move.

'_What the hell? This is just—'_

Hollow, mocking laughter rang out over the battlefield as Charles zi Britannia's eyes regarded the last of the proper Servants who had dared to oppose him, the last of the Grey Witch's allies—the last obstacle between him and his world free of lies.

"And with this…it is my victory," Caster proclaimed, raising his arm as he prepared to release an overwhelming blast of power to utterly erase Rider from existence. "For in the end, resistance is fu—"

_Crack!_

A single shot lanced out from a distance, smashing into an unprepared Caster's arm, with the spell released into the air, as the Britannian Emperor whirled to see…

…the unsteady figure of Avenger, obviously in pain, his legs all but crippled, the arms holding onto his gunblade weak as he gasped for breath, facing down his father. Without a doubt, Lelouch would fall without being able to block, no matter what kind of attack Caster sent back at him, but…there were no openings in the demon's stance, nor any hesitation.

Avenger had been injured near to death, but with his Battle Continuation ability, the demon could still fight, even on the verge of his end—and he was clearly prepared to do so.

Seeing this display of defiance, even Caster had to prepare himself, an incredulous eyebrow lifting on his face as he shifted the target of his spell to his prodigal son. By all rights, the demon should already be dead, and yet…

"Let me ask you…" the Emperor asked uncertainly, his gaze on the weakened demon even as he maintained the ward on Rider. "Are you sane?"

But Avenger did not answer, the unwavering gaze of his burning eyes all that was needed by way of reply. Already, his consciousness was breaking apart, his organs crushed, his heart about to explode from pain, fatigue and emptiness. If Lelouch let his guard down, he would stop breathing—yet he forced air into his shattered lungs with the determination it would take to stick a knife in his throat, his windpipe tearing with every breath, as it felt like he was swallowing pieces of glass—as he could not live without oxygen.

'_I am the soul of the void,'_ the exiled prince thought to himself, as all the images of those he had cared about flashed before his eyes—friends, family, Nunnally, Euphie, Milly, Kallen, and his master C.C. _'But I already knew that…from the beginning this body was designed for one purpose alone.'_

Vengeance.

For the sake of his wish, Caster needed to eliminate Avenger. By the same token, Avenger needed to kill Caster to destroy that wish.

Tears welled up from the infinite rage inside of the demon, as he remembered his pledge, knowing there was one thing left to do.

In the moment, all Avenger could hear was the sound of his heart, taking no notice of the battle in the sky, his vision going red as it focused upon the one he must defeat—the man who did not deserve to be called a father, a man who had gone mad long ago, but thought it something to be proud of.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Mad laughter spilled from Avenger's lips, almost as if from a ravenous beast as he advances, taking a lurching, tenuous step forward, gunblade _**Atonement **_in his hand.

"I see…you must have lost your mind," Charles zi Britannia concluded, readying a magic circle as he regarded the enemy approaching him, gathering within it a quantity of magical energy that far exceeded Avenger's defenses. "In that case, there is no need to hold back…be erased here, along with your Witch!"

_**WHOOSH!**_

With a sharp gesture of his hands, Caster released a torrent of magical energy, a powerful light that could destroy anything, sending the final attack surging out to tear though the demon, killing it once and for all.

A dislocation ran through space, a flash of light and a whirl of wind loosed from the confines of the magic circle, but through it, Avenger lowered his gunblade and continued to approach, moving his body forward as if falling. The light rushed towards him, an attack he could not avoid with injured legs, unable to block as his body screamed, his limbs literally begin to melt away as—

"_**VERG AVESTA!" **_

—the demon king whispered those fateful words, returning to an opponent all the damage inflicted upon him. This was the reason he had protected his head, why he had fought to remain conscious—because in the end, whatever was done to him would be done to the one who assailed him.

"WARRGHHHHHH!"

—from Caster's mouth came a shriek of utter torment, as the spell-caster lost all ability to concentrate, falling to his knees, screaming as every pain, every wound, every torment that Caster had ever inflicted upon Avenger was returned in kind, his assault ceasing immediately, as all spells were broken.

'_Now!'_

Enduring the brutal pain of his mortally wounded body, Avenger fell forward, running on hands and knees towards the fallen form of Charles zi Britannia with only one goal – to slay his father here, his body moving by will alone as he shot for his enemy with the speed of a shooting star, gunblade and claws extended for the killing blow.

_Squelch!_

A blade of retribution was stabbed into the Emperor's heart, jerked up and to the side for maximum damage, as it is withdrawn, with the form of Avenger's gunblade poised over his father's neck.

"You are…a hateful child…opposing me to the end," Caster spat, attempting to gather enough energy to immolate the dark Servant before him, as light in his hands built, glow increasing, increasing, increasing— "No…"

With the last of his consciousness, Avenger invoked his ability "_**Not for One's Own Glory**_", taking on the appearance of Empress Consort Marianne vi Britannia for mere moments, the image freezing his father in place for a precious second or two as Caster's eyes widened.

"In the name of those who have fallen," the demon croaked out, "I…Avenger, command you...DIE!"

_Whump! Slash! Thud!_

A cross-slash with gunblade and demonic claws, decapitating the father, the head rolling rolling rolling—

_Crack! Squelch!_

—blown to bloody splatters by a final blast from the gunblade _**Atonement**_, as the massive form of Charles zi Britannia dissolved, fading away into dust as if it had never existed, though in Avenger's moment of victory, a reinforced fist tore through his gut in retaliation.

"Guh!"

_Thump!_

His objective completed, Avenger collapsed, the wounds he had taken too great, dropping to his knees and then to his back, his last weapon falling from his hand, as breathing came in ragged gasps.

_Shatter!_

In the wake of Caster's passing, all the spells he wrought were released, meaning that the phantasmal knights of the round had dissolved into nothingness—and that Rider was now free, the redhead running to Avenger's side with horror as she saw what had befallen Lelouch.

"Avenger, are you…?" Kallen began frantically, crouching over the fallen Servant and trying to look for a way to stem the bleeding, but—

Cold.

A hand wreathed in shadow stopped her from continuing.

"Help…C.C., the Reaper in White…" Avenger managed to whisper, even as blood trickled out of the corners of mouth and eyes, and most of his body, with his entrails falling out. "Help…master Zero…"

"Right," Kallen noted, nodding as she accepted this task, though a thought came to her mind. "But what about…?"

"There's nothing you can do for me...except help Zero…" the demon murmured, his eyes unfocused as he looked up at the sky in a steaming pool of ichor. "Please, I need you to do this for me, Q-1."

"Alright, Lelouch," the redhead acknowledges, a rueful expression on her face as she squeezed her fallen comrade's hand, before letting go and standing up, heading over to the great helical spear.

'_I suppose I can climb this with the air of my hair…if I really need to…'_ she thought to herself, beginning the long trek towards the figures dueling in midair.

Meanwhile, the death of Caster had not gone unnoticed by V.V., who found his power weakening as the thoughts of the Grey Witch's allies took control of the combined Thought Elevators of the world.

'_No…it cannot be,' _V.V. thought, as the territory that Caster set up dissolved, the Sword of Akasha beginning to shake and rumble, as if made unstable by the passing of the magus that had rebuilt it, with—

_Slash! _

A careless moment of inattention had resulted in one of his wraiths being lost, as C.C.'s terrible, swift scythe ripped through the illusion from head to toe.

"…having fought to the hilt on countless fields of battle…" the last ruler of Atlantis intoned, a storm of power gathering around her form as she lashed out again, a blade of light extending from her scythe tearing through yet another V.V. doppelganger. "…knowing nothing of loss, even less of gain…"

V.V. and his two remaining doppelgangers rallied, coming together in a triangle formation as they sought to strike the witch in a spiral formation, coming in close to slash, thrust—

"Guh!"

Blood spurted from V.V.'s chest as yet another doppelganger was erased, even as he tossed his war fans towards the Witch, and—

_BOOM!_

—detonated them as Broken Phantasms, only to find the Grey Witch unscathed, a predatory smile on her face as silver light wrapped around her form. Now that the battle below was won, there was no need to avoid a decisive confrontation!

"…always alone, knowing only desolation…" C.C. continued to chant, a maelstrom of ice and wind howling around her as she crushed the throat of the last doppelganger, arcing the scythe up to cleave it crotch to head. "…always running onwards towards an ever distant utopia, in the endless and forever time, forgotten."

'_Is that a spell of some sort? But nothing has happened…nothing has been summoned, no attack has been called,' _V.V. thought to himself, bracing himself as—

"Aloft in the sky, like…an endless festival on an _**Eternal Glass Moon!**__"_

At her words, azure fire roared in V.V.'s vision, running in crisscrossing lines across the sky like a boundary field, the color of snow filling his mind and painting all a frozen white, replacing the Sword of Akasha with a strange world, one that flickered and churned from moment to moment.

'_A long lost city…a frozen island sinking into the sea. A legendary island that existed long before Sumeria. A sword in a stone—no, rising from a lake. A war. The door of Eden Vital…the world shakes. A Phantasm World…no, this is…'_

"Where do you think, V.V.?_**"**_ whispered a chained figure on a frozen throne, with the world stabilizing around V.V., revealing a snow-covered world illuminated by a ghostly silver light, a white sea with islands of grey over which floated the low-hanging moon, with countless swords scattered throughout. "You are certainly not the master of this realm, now are you?"

A magnificent vista, certainly, timeless, a world free from the depredations and violations of man, mostly recovered from the nightmare of war, though traces remained in the many weapons scattered—like an old battlefield where snow has concealed corpses and graves. And on the throne—

"You…then this is…"

—at the figure of the Grey Witch, in a gown of white and blue befitting an empress, her body held upright by a hundred frozen chains that bound her hands and feet, a broken blade suspended above her head—no, in her hand, as ravens perched upon her shoulders.

"_**Eternal Glass Moon**_, the Reality Marble passed down by the royal line of Atlantis," the stately figure spoke, as if to a mere commoner, instead of another Code-bearer. "Where memories have been kept from the beginning of the world, a phantasmal crystallization of dreams and wishes linked to the Void of Origin. This is my most true Noble Phantasm, you foolish one who seeks to repeat the mistakes of bygone ages."

V.V. looked about, trying to find a way to escape, the crimson sigil on his forehead blazing into existence—then snuffed out, as he received a fierce blow to the head from behind, whirling to confront—

'_Another version of the witch?'_

This version of her was dressed in a black dress of the elegant gothic Lolita style, as if existing as the Reaper's shadow.

"So you are the Servant Caster of the previous Eden Vital War," this Unyielding Shadow voiced coldly, studying the eternally young boy critically. "Not exactly much to look at, are you, although you resemble an old enemy of mine—the idiot who tried to usurp the throne, tearing a land apart in war. What is your wish?"

"To create a world free of lies," V.V. spoke, materializing his war fans once more as the sound of flapping wings grew louder in the distance. "And in so doing, to slay the Gods which make man fight one another."

"How stagnant…" replied the Keeper of Memories, the scorn in her features palpable as she looked askance at the young immortal. "You wish to take away all that makes humanity what it is, claiming that it will make the world a better place? And to do that, you have told lie upon lie, killing countless individuals while you hide behind a mask?"

"It is of no consequence," the young boy answered haughtily. "The ends justify the means, after all, and those common tragedies would cease for all once the world has been changed for the better."

"Oh really?" Zero asked, more than a little skeptical. "Murdering millions for the sake of your wish, forcing all of humanity to bend to your will…that is change for the better? You swore to create a world without lies, but in the end, you lied to everyone—even to yourself."

From the lips of the Counter Guardian came a harsh, dissonant laugh that does not seem to suit her, one that echoed strangely in the acoustics of the surrounding megalith.

"Tch! If you stand in my way, I will destroy you and your world," V.V. hissed, lunging forward, his sword stabbing—and hitting nothing, as—

"And so by your actions, you have been judged," the low contralto of the Grey Witch intoned, with the Reaper in White rising from her throne and standing next to the Keeper of Memories, as they both raised their scythes. "Your war is lost, and you shall walk the earth…_**Nevermore**_!"

An absolute darkness shot out from the Reaper's hands, instantly surrounding V.V. with a canopy of shadowy wings, a world of death swallowing up the reality around him. And though V.V. raged and shook and yowled, drawing on all the emotions he could—in the end, there was no escape from the judgment of the Counter Guardian—for she had won, and he had lost.

A flash of light, as excruciating pain flooded into V.V.'s body, his sense of reality wavering as the Reality Marble dissolved, and then—

"_**Amenonuhoko!"**_

—a tornado of ice, wind, and rainbow light was released from C.C.'s scythe, slamming the boy up into the air, with the Grey Witch swooping up and spiking the boy down down down as they hurtled towards the ground below—

_SLAM!_

—breaking every one of V.V.'s bones in the process, melting away his flesh, as C.C. staked her fellow immortal through what was left of his heart with the haft of her scythe.

_Squelch!_

Looking around imperiously, the Reaper in White took note of Servant Rider, beckoning her to draw near.

"What are your orders, Zero?" the redhead asked, chained daggers in her hand as she looked at the near…carcass on the ground, and then to the revealed form of Zero—who as she suspected, had been the mysterious green-haired girl that had danced with Lelouch.

'_Somehow…I'm not surprised…'_

"One last step before this war ends…you must use your _**Origami**_ and plunder the last of this one's life," C.C. commanded, glancing at the broken immortal at her feet. "This one…the master of Caster and Assassin, brother to the late Charles zi Britannia."

"With pleasure," Kallen replied with a bloodthirsty smile, looking much as she had when she had the radiant wave surger of the Guren Mk-II. Stepping up to the near-corpse, Rider's eyes seemed to glow, as her snake-like hair surged outward, radiant strands streaming out to cover every square inch of V.V.'s shattered body, brutally plundered away the last of V.V.'s life force—and more importantly, his Code, as the sigil of Geass branded itself upon one of Rider's ample breasts.

A flash of light, a strangled cry, and then the violation was complete.

_Rumble! Rumble! Roar!_

Still, the Sword of Akasha was beginning to destabilize, and even as she looked upon her now immortal comrade, C.C. knew that one final task remained to be done.

"Kallen Kozuki, you have won this Eden Vital War, gaining a power that very few have borne in this history of the world—the power of the queen in its highest form—immortality, that which I bear. I ask of you, do you have a wish that you would want fulfilled?" the Reaper in White asked, golden eyes peering at the redhead who was now ostensibly her equal.

"You've already granted my wish of a free Japan," Rider answered softly, giving the Grey Witch a gentle smile of gratitude. "I suppose to protect the peace for which we've fought then?"

A soft, musical chuckle, and a rueful expression that seemed to be looking far far away.

"Then I leave that burden to you, Kallen Kozuki, Counter Guardian of the World," C.C. said after a few long moments, beginning to raise a hand, but paused, thinking better of it. "Since you now have a power like mine, please show yourself out…"

"How do I do that exactly?" Kallen asked, raising a long slender eyebrow as she crossed her arms. "Do I just think, _'I want to return to real—'_

A flash of crimson light, and the redhead vanished.

"Yes, exactly," C.C. said approvingly, as with a flick of her fingers, she returned the _Gawain_, with its cargo of Euphemia li Britannia and Shirley Fenette, to the physical world, before dismissing the helical spear with the word _**"Amenonuhoko!",**_ as silver light shot out and erased the last scrap of V.V. and Charles' plan.

With that finished, the green-haired witch walked over to where Servant Avenger was barely hanging onto life, his vision wavering as darkness closed in.

_Tap-tap-tap_…

Collapsed on the ground, body half faded with patches of static here and there, Lelouch could see the pure white light of C.C.'s Scythe purge the world of corruption, with his father's aims and goals completely thwarted—the fullest vengeance he knew. Knowing this, he half smiled, or would have, had there been any energy left in his body, any power at all after what he had done.

_Tap-tap-tap_…

Hearing soft footsteps approaching, the Servant wreathed in blood and shadow glanced towards the sound, a very faint smile spreading across his lips as the green-haired witch kneeled over Avenger's dying form. Yes, dying, for Avenger had come to this world physically, and so, unlike in his battles in phantasmagoria, there could be no healing from wounds this severe.

"So everything is over, C.C.?" the exiled prince asked faintly, as warm hands closed over his, and he saw what seemed like a teardrop or two run down the immortal's face.

'_Crying for me…?'_

"Yes…" came the gentle reply, a murmur like a gentle breeze. "This is it, Lelouch…this war is finally over."

An attempted sigh, cut off by a wince of pain, as the light in his eyes flickered and began to fade.

"I see," Avenger noted solemnly, though his voice did not quite match the smile upon his face. "Then I suppose our contract, too, is at an end. I accepted the power of the king, became your sword, defeated your enemies, fulfilled my role as a Servant. I am…glad to have fulfilled this promise, Caren Cybele Ortensia…"

"Yes," C.C. replies, touching her Champion's cheeks gently as she looked into his eyes, a drop or two of moisture falling from her face to hers. "You did very well, Avenger…"

A heartbeat of silence.

"I was dead until the moment I met you," the exiled prince spoke softly, repeating words he had said once, "a powerless corpse pretending to be alive. Living without power, without the ability to change my course, that life was akin to a slow death. So, as I fade, I say this…thank you. For everything."

Nothing more needed to be said in that moment outside of time, as the Sword of Akasha itself began to fade away, twilight giving way to dawn as the clouds parted, bathing the pair in golden radiance.

And in it…

"In the end, there is one thing I must tell you," the Grey Witch said to Lelouch, her form framed by the gentle sun.

"…what is it, my immortal witch?" Avenger asked curiously, his consciousness fading, fading, fa—

A brush of lips against lips, the last sensation in the world for the mortal Lelouch Lamperouge, as his eyes widened slightly in surprise, finding himself looking into amber.

As C.C. pulled back, she looked straight at the raven-haired prince, and says:

"Lelouch—I love you…"

A whisper without regret from an ancient immortal, as a wind blew, and a Servant closed his eyes for the final time, with C.C.'s form, too, vanishing into a thousand points of golden light.

* * *

**A/N**: So there you have it, the last battle in Phantasmagoria. But all is not quite over, as there are affairs in the real world to settle, especially what happens in the aftermath of a costly victory. Thanks for reading, and reviews are appreciated, as always.


	39. Turning Seasons

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night, elements of the Nasuverse or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Aerial Battleship **_**Avalon**_

In the wake of the cataclysmic battle in the World of C, a battle that had literally been fought with the hearts and minds of humanity at stake, the earth trembled, quaked, rumbled, before settling down as if heaving a massive sigh, as waves of golden light surged out from the eight Thought Elevators scattered across the globe, spilling out into the world and touching the minds of all those in the world, freeing them of the haunting voices of the past as the sky was wiped clean once more, a tempestuous night giving way to dawn. And in the wake of this healing radiance, the ancient ruins crumbled to dust, rendered powerless by the will of an ancient Witch, the last survivor of the civilization that had produced them.

'_So…the long night is finished_,' Kallen Kozuki thought to herself as she stirred, picking herself up from the floor of her quarters on the _Avalon, _experimentally flexing her muscles and testing her joints to see if everything still worked. Surprisingly, there was no headache this time, as there had been all the others, though she felt a strange sensation of calm flowing into her, the whispers of an endless ocean of voices overlapping in quiet white noise, with naught discernable save for the words "Counter Guardian." _'The stars fall out of the sky, space closes up into nothingness…'_

Once-twice-a third time, the redhead blinked, looking out the window to see that the airship had already passed over the ocean, and was now hovering just within view of Pendragon, the capital of the Holy Britannian Empire, having continued tirelessly on towards its destination, even when all its crew had been unconscious from the cursed wave that had washed over the world.

'_Then I guess it's time to finish what we started,'_ the Ace of the Black Knights resolved, smiling weakly as she donned the mask of Zero once more and headed to the bridge, where the ship's commander and the technicians that were nominally in charge of keeping the _Avalon_ running were just beginning to wake, their eyes haunted as if they had looked into hell—and had been spared from the flames at the last moment.

Even Lloyd Asplund, the man who was normally either oddly gleeful at the thought of new technology, or irritated at the thought of someone outdoing him / someone damaging his brainchildren, looked almost distant, as if considering the numerous paths not taken, wondering if somewhere in his life, he had taken a wrong turn.

"What…happened?" the man asked, hearing the doors of the lift hiss open, and the figure of Innis step out onto the bridge, seemingly more collected than the rest of them.

"Would you believe me if I said it was the work of ancient ruins?" the redhead replied lightly, causing the Earl of Pudding to groan theatrically.

"If that's true, then Cecile is going to have a field day telling me off for saying they were a load of bunk," the Earl of Pudding moaned, giving in to the urge to facepalm. "She was always the specialist in that sort of thing…"

Indeed, back at the Imperial Colchester Institute, the Earl of Pudding had even asked in jest whether, with her intense interest in the ancients, Cecile had been one of them in past life, only for the blunette to huff and smack the back of his head—thus beginning the somewhat abusive relationship of mad scientist and assistant, though Lloyd would admit very very grudgingly that he did care about her, at least a little bit, yet—

"Are we in position for the conclusion of our plan?" asked the woman in the guise of Zero, to which the Governor General nodded, with the rest of the crew looking to her as a pillar of reassurance that things would be ok.

"Affirmative. In addition the defense grid is unprepared, with no activity noted," one of the technicians reported, causing the newly-minted immortal to narrow her eyes.

'_Interesting…the citizens of Pendragon must still be affected by the trance—though given that this place too was Caster's territory, I'm not surprised. The intensity must have been greater…'_

"Very well," Kallen acknowledged with a nod. "Fire a warning shot with the Hadron Cannon, aimed at the ceremonial lake outside Pendragon Palace. Following that, an open broadcast, if you will."

"Firing now," came the confirmation, as the weapons officer carried out his orders.

_WHOOSH!_

Heat and light flared from the _Avalon's_ massive Hadron Cannons, cutting a swath of destruction through the sky—or would have, if they had actually been targeted on anything except the lake.

_Hiss!_

Instead, it simply vaporized a goodly amount of water, sending up a wall of mist that enshrouded the center of the city, through which the dark shape of _Avalon_ loomed.

On the bridge of the airship, the communications officer gave the masked revolutionary a nod, as an open broadcast was sent to all of Pendragon and the world.

"Lord and Ladies of the Holy Britannian Empire," Kallen's harsh voice echoed. "This is Zero of the Black Knights, demanding the immediate and unconditional surrender of your nation to the United Federation of Nations. The forces you have dispatched to Area 11 have been defeated in total, with the Knights of the Round dead—Knight of One Bismarck Waldstein himself dying by my hand. In addition, your Prime Minister, Crown Prince, and Emperor are no longer among the living, having deployed a weapon against the world—and subsequently being destroyed themselves. Your territorial ambitions end here."

* * *

**Stealth Battlecruiser **_**Skeith**_

It was with no small amount of shock that the crew of the _Skeith_ observed the Gawain blinking out of existence as it stepped into the column of crimson light emanating from the center of Lake Cheko, only to reappear some time later on the lakeshore, without either Zero or Avenger aboard. Instead, the Knightmare Frame had held a badly wounded Shirley Fenette and a shaken Princess Euphemia li Britannia, with a startled Milly Ashford taking care of transporting both of them to the _Skeith_, where they could be examined and properly treated for their injuries.

"M-madam Prez, what are you doing here?ǃ" Shirley had sputtered, upon gaining consciousness and seeing the curvaceous blond tending to her. "You have to get help—Ashford was attacked, Rivalz and Nunnally were…."

"I know," Milly said solemnly, sighing as though under a heavy burden. "Believe me…I know. We wouldn't have been able to rescue you otherwise."

"We…?" Shirley repeated quizzically, before the orangette's eyes widened at the sight of the uniform that the Ashford heir wore. "You…you're…a Black Knight?"

"Yes, I am the press secretary of the Order of Black Knights, yes, as well as Avenger's personal aide," Milly confirmed, nodding once. "And you are on board the _Skeith, _Zero's personal flagship, along with Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia. What do you remember?"

"I…remember a battle in a great temple…with Avenger and Kallen fighting against the Britannian Emperor, calling him 'father'," the orangette replied, shuddering at the memory. "And I remember a green-haired woman—the one that danced with Lelouch, fighting the little boy that killed Nunnally. But how could any that have been—"

"—real?" Milly asked, looking away at window looking out upon the lake, where a golden glow lit up the waters from beneath, lines of light and ghostly fire illuminating the expanse like—well, magic. "When you spend enough time around Zero and Avenger, you learn that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophies."

"Shakespeare," added Anya Alstreim, who was reclining on another of the beds in the infirmary, looking through a picture blog of sorts. "Hamlet…how appropriate."

"So that means...that it was all real? Then Avenger and the Emperor are both..."

"I'm afraid so," came the reply, which instantly sobered the orangette as she curled up into a ball. A nightmare was one thing-but this was reality, which one could not wake from. "That is the price of war, unfortunately...its never simply a game, as much as a certain gambler of our acquaintance once likened it to chess..."

"Uunngh," groaned Euphemia li Britannia, as the pink haired princess stirred, her mind still reeling in shock from the events that had recently transpired, the memories she had absorbed while still unconscious. "Where am I? This is…"

"You are on board the _Skeith,_ Your Highness," Milly replied manner-of-factly, as the figure of Kaguya Sumeragi peeked out from behind a nearby bed, curtseying to Euphemia.

"Greetings, Princess Euphemia li Britannia," the young head of the Six Houses of Kyoto said formally. "Do you have any news of Avenger? He and Zero went to rescue you, but the Knightmare returned without either of them in it."

"And greetings to you, Lady Kaguya," Euphemia returned, remembering to observe formalities even at a time like this. "So then…if those two were Avenger and Zero…then Avenger really was Lelouch all this time…"

Shirley's eyes went wide at this last piece of information, as she connected it with the other bits in her head to discover something completely unexpected.

"Wait…if Avenger is Lelouch, and Avenger was the son of the Britannian Emperor, doesn't that make Lulu…"

The orangette trailed off, unable to complete her sentence.

"—the former eleventh prince of the Empire, Lelouch vi Britannia," Milly concluded, not seeing much of a point in keeping it a secret when everyone else in the room already knew his true identity. "In any case, with the death of the Emperor, Crown Prince, and Prime Minister, as well as the nation's surrender to our forces, the Holy Britannian Empire faces a crisis at this juncture."

"Indeed, at the moment, the line of succession is unclear, which may lead to a civil war," Kaguya added, her face serious as she regarded the princess. "The only way to avert that is to have a new ruler take the throne, one with a valid claim and backed by enough of the world that the nobles will not start an uprising."

Whatever else her background consisted of, Euphemia li Britannia had been raised in the Imperial Court, and so understood the meaning of Kaguya's remark all too well.

"And I am to become that new ruler, then?" the sub-viceroy asked, uncertain. Already she had supported a rebellion for the sake of the weak, declared war on the Empire, but now…

"Are you afraid, Your Highness Euphemia?" Kaguya asked of the pink-haired princess. "You were willing to join with Zero in standing against the most powerful nation in the world. Will you now shy away from accepting the consequences of that action, from taking the burden of reconstruction upon your back? If the spirit you have shown until now in supporting us is true, then carry out your ideal to the end."

"It is what…Avenger, no, Lelouch, would have wanted," Milly added, her eyes moist with tears as she thought of what must be done in the years ahead. "For his sake, for Zero's, for ours…let us work for the betterment of the world."

* * *

**Pendragon Imperial Palace, Holy Britannian Empire, One Month Later**

By any measure, those who the Holy Britannian Empire (outside the somewhat dysfunctional Imperial Family) were not stupid, and when an armada of heavily armed aerial battleships from Area 11 had appeared in the sky, with the lead ship vaporizing all the water in the moat surrounding the city just to prove a point, and Zero herself announcing the defeat of Britannian forces, the remaining elements of the government, fearing for their lives, had surrendered, bringing an empire that had controlled one-third of the world to its knees.

Perhaps, had the mental onslaught not come, the remaining rulers Britannia might not have caved in so easily, but the undeniable reality was that it had, gravely shaking most of those in power—and so Zero and her allied forces had won, and so were left to pick up the pieces as best they could. For during the span of a terrifying few hours, the people of the world had had their illusions and masks all stripped away, forced to confront every action in their lives—facing the consequences all at once.

'_It is as if the world realizes that it has been given a second chance, with people turning inward to face themselves, lacking the energy or motivation for war,'_ Kallen thought to herself. _'Ceasefires abounded, with the energy focused on war now redirected to famine, poverty, disease and other things—as if humanity as a whole were trying to make amends for the past so they could move on into the future.'_

Granted, problems remained as humanity was a fractious and sometimes peevish race by nature, but…the time that had been frozen was flowing once more, with people moving on, bound together by a shared trauma and the knowledge of infinite possibilities to come. For some of the whispers heard in those dark times had talked of better things than pain and suffering, scattered motes of light amidst the darkness and what could have beens what changed the world.

Happiness, sadness, love, hate, hope and despair all intermingled in some exotic cocktail, transcending a mere moment in time, painting a vision of a better future.

Even so, the chaos caused by the events of the Eden Vital War were still settling a month later, with the ranks of the United Federation of Nations swelling with the annexation of the Euro Universe and the Chinese Federation, so that the supranational entity conceived of during a mere rebellion became something much more. Much of this was thanks to the leadership of the UFN Chairwomen Lady Kaguya Sumeragi and Milly Ashford, who had taken the sheltered Tianzi under their care following the tragic turns in the last hours of the war, with the Black Knights providing much aid in helping the weak, the impoverished, the frail—as was their stated mission.

Meanwhile the world waited with baited breath to see what would become of the once mighty Holy Britannian Empire, as the many Areas it had governed were beginning to show signs of civil unrest, seeing that one rebellion had succeeded. What would be the policies of the new ruler of the Britannian Empire, what would be said about the events of the past, and what would happen to the nation as a whole, a nation that under Charles' reign had risen to power based on social Darwinism, the belief that people were not equal—and so had conquered much of the world.

It was for that reason that many dignitaries from around the world were gathered in the throne room of the Pendragon Imperial Palace, including Prime Minister Kyoshiro Tohdoh of Japan, UFN Minister of Science Rakshata Chawla, the Empress Tianzi, as well as the mysterious "A.A." (Anya Alstreim) and her guardian Sayoko Shinozaki, all waiting restlessly for the announcement of the new ruler to be, as—

"Now announcing Interrex Lloyd Asplund," the voice of an Imperial herald boomed. "And the 99th Empress of the Holy Britannian Empire, Her Imperial Majesty, Euphemia li Britannia!"

—two quite familiar individuals bedecked in ornate court attire and imperial regalia strode into throne room, with the Interrex (the short-term regent who had ruled over the Britannian Empire in the time between Emperors) ceding the Imperial Throne to the newly crowned Empress, who looked out at the gathered audience of dignitaries, meeting their gaze unflinchingly.

"Charles zi Britannia once said that people were not equal," the pink-haired ruler of an Empire spoke, her voice carrying to the corners of the room. "But that is all the more reason that is inexcusable for those with power to oppress those without power, thus Our ascendance to the throne will not mark a revival of the tyrannical rule of the former Britannia and the evil that it brought into the world."

Hushed murmurs in the crowd, as they wondered what exactly the Empress meant.

"The previous Emperor's policies of repression against the Numbers have led to this current unrest, plunging the world into chaos, the likes of which it has never faced before—culminating in the Illusory Requiem, as we have come to call it, and the birth of the United Federation of Nations," Euphemia continued, her eyes touching upon each of those in attendance. "Thus, as the ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire, We renounce the policy of discrimination against Numbers, and further, declare Our intent to dismantle the system of Areas."

A buzz of protest from the nobles, though a glare from Black Knights as guards quieted them down.

"During the rebellion, I allied ourselves with Zero because she was an ally of justice, standing to protect the weak when no others could," the Empress spoke, "and so cooperated with her in protecting this world from Our father's depredations—proving to be the correct choice when Charles zi Britannia used his weapon of terror upon the world. And so, as the ruler of this new Britannia, We announce Our continued intent to cooperate with the United Federation of Nations in rebuilding this world, working for equality, pledging to work towards a better tomorrow. Seeking a harmonious relationship with the nations of the world, We will reform Britannia."

Silence at first, before the white-haired Interrex started a slow clapping, followed by others, as they took up the chant:

"All hail Euphemia! All hail Euphemia!"

In the distance, Kallen Kozuki watched as her dear friend Euphemia took the Britannian throne, fingering the emblem of Knighthood she had been given. It would indeed be a long road ahead, fraught with travails and pains…but for now, the hate of the world rested on the previous Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and with luck, things would change for the better.

'_All we can do in this world is give our best…and I will help Euphie make this world a reality, protecting this fragile peace as a Counter Guardian, as I swore to Zero.'_

* * *

**Roof, Student Council Clubhouse, Ashford Academy**

After the ceremony in Pendragon, UFN Co-Chairwoman Milly Ashford and Commander of the Black Knights Kallen Kozuki had returned to the Tokyo Settlement, dressed in their civilian attire, intending to pay a last visit to Ashford Academy and to the friends they would leave behind upon taking up their new posts. In the wake of Zero and Avenger's disappearance from the world, the two who once served them had stepped up in taking responsibility to protect a world won with so much blood and struggle.

'_Once, we lived in gentle days,' _Milly thought to herself, as the blonde walked through the familiar halls of Ashford Academy, a place that had once sheltered her. _'But those days are now gone…a story now closed, with new tales to be written, friends dearly departed…'_

A sobering thought to have lost so many at their age...

"Do you remember when you first joined the Student Council?" Milly asked her friend, as they walked up the stairs to the roof of the building. "How silly everyone was then, how carefree?"

"How could I forget?" Kallen remarked, shaking her head with a wry smile. "That was…that was the beginning of all this…"

"Ah, right…when Shirley and I found you collapsed in the shower with Lelouch sprawled on top of you," Milly chuckled, a wistful expression on her face. "Back then, did you ever think…"

"…that everything would turn out like this?" Kallen asked, sighing. "Not exactly. At the time, I was wondering if Lelouch was a demon, remember? Or a demon prince, to be more precise…"

"Heh…well, he was that, I suppose," the blonde conceded, clucking her tongue. "But a demon that fought against a devil and changed the world…"

_Clip-clop-clip-clop!_

Their footsteps echoed on the stone stairs leading up to the rooftop, until at last, they turned the corner, as—

_Rustle!_

The sound of cloth rustling in the wind.

"Is…that…"

A black-clad figure leaned motionless against the rooftop railing, his silhouette framed by the setting sun, with a crimson longcoat fluttering behind him, looking out over Ashford Academy at rest, holding in his hands thousands of origami cranes strung together, steaming in the wind like his tousled black hair.

"Avenger?" Kallen whispered, as she looked upon the familiar figure, her heart pounding painfully in her chest as she looked at him. "Can it be you?"

"Lelouch?" Milly murmured, almost incredulous, but letting herself hope as—

"Ah, but I cannot be Avenger," the warlock replied, turning about to regard the two young women with gentle purple eyes. "Because Avenger died along with C.C. in the last battle of the Eden Vital War. You should know that well, Rider, as you bore witness to his demise. Neither can I be Lelouch, whether vi Britannia or Lamperouge, as one died in the invasion of Japan, and another during the Rebellion, alongside his sister Nunnally."

_Crack!_

Two steps, and Kallen closed the distance between then, giving him a stinging blow across the cheek, though the red imprint quickly faded.

"Fine, if you're not Avenger, and you're not Lelouch, then who the hell do you think you are?ǃ" the redhead demanded, glowering at her former comrade-in-arms. "For that matter, how are you alive, when I saw you die?"

"I am the one who destroyed the world, and the one who created it anew…but that is all — there are others more fit to rebuild it," the figure replied, smiling gently at her. "As for how I am alive, I am a warlock, separated from the flow of time, one can no longer age, no longer die, a Counter Guardian who serves as a keeper of the balance, like you, Q-1."

A startled moment of realization, as Milly looked at the man who had once been a prince.

"So that means that…"

A simple nod, and a painful smile.

"The Reaper in White is no longer of this world, having given me her Code and sacrificed herself to destroy the Thought Elevators, that they may no more be used," the Grey Warlock replied, sighing as he remembered the last sensation he had felt, the last words he had heard in his mortal existence—a confession of love from a cold immortal witch. "At the very end, I suppose she wanted me to live on in her place, giving me something of hers and a purpose…a reason to continue on this mortal coil."

A lone teardrop, as the wind snapped one of the many strings, and paper cranes were blown away, carried off by the wind to parts unknown, like human wishes that could not be granted, stars that could not be reached.

"So what are you calling yourself these days then, Lulu?" Milly asked, as the man looked far far away into the hazy distance, as if thinking that he would chase after them. "And what do you plan to do now?"

"I will live on, watching over this world, as C.C. would have wanted," the warlock said, letting go of the strings at last, as a whirlwind of wishes encircled him, then were carried off into the distance, as he reached out his hands, revealing the sigil of Geass branded on one. "For I am Shadow, the Dawn Wanderer, now and forevermore, the Knight of Zero."

But he was stopped from moving by a feeling of warmth in each hand.

"Come on then, _Shadow,_" Milly teased, taking hold of one of his hands and giving it a squeeze, as she pulled herself to his side. "If you want to live then you may as well follow, before I get Kaguya to strangle you...or maybe glomp you in front of the UFN Council. Your so-called 'wife' misses you dearly, as do the rest of your 'Court Ladies.'"

A muffled groan, cut off by a faintly blushing Kallen taking his other hand, with the Dawn Wanderer raising an inquiring eyebrow.

"Et tu, Q-1?" he asked sardonically, though the redhead only snorted, the Geass symbols of the two briefly glowing at their touch.

"Well, considering that I don't plan on starting another war just to be rid of you, I guess I'll be stuck with you till the end, when all the rest are gone," Kallen said at last, a strange expression on her face as she let herself rest against her fellow immortal, finding the feeling strangely reassuring. "In that case, I figure I might as well learn to live with you, as much of a demon as you may be."

"Really now? Are you sure you aren't just setting yourself up to be the Empress above the Three Court Ladies?" Milly joked, as Kallen glared at her, wishing for a moment that _she_ had been gifted with Absolute Retribution. "Oh, come on, I was just teasing…unless you really do have—"

"M-M-Milly, really now, who could ever—"

"Your lips say one thing, but your body says another," the curvaceous blonde teased, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Just be honest with yourself...what do you want?"

"Hush and let me just enjoy the moment, alright, Milly, Q-1?" replied the Dawn Wanderer, with an expression of mingled joy and sadness on his face as he looked into the distance, with Kallen and Milly by his side. "After all…we may have all the time in the world—"

"Well, the two of you do, anyway…" shot back Milly, though she didn't continue, knowing the man had something else to say. No matter the name, Lelouch was still Lelouch, and he was alive and by her side, answering an unvoiced wish she had kept within her heart.

"—but each moment is still a precious memory, all we carry with us in the end, irreplaceable," the immortal warlock concluded, fully present in the moment, or as present as he could be, anyway. "And though it's said that the power of the king isolates people, but maybe it's not quite like that, eh?"

"We'll soon find out, I imagine," Kallen murmured, as the three looked out towards sunset, as golden rays of light faded from the world, leaving long shadows in their wake.

The world would keep on turning, with each person playing a role, taking a standing, working to do what was necessary. Things would change, people would grow, civilizations rise and fall—but day after day, battle after battle, humanity would still chase after impossible dreams, hoping that one day, they might make a wish into reality. That was the world that Zero had protected, that the Wanderer and Q-1 would now protect in her stead…a world of wishes, yearnings, desires. Not a perfect world, as such had never existed, but a world that kept moving forward towards the dream of a distant utopia.

* * *

**A/N**: The present journey ends, but what does the future hold? At this point, who knows except they themselves? Thanks for reading, and reviews are much appreciated, as always. ^^


	40. Epilogue: Distant Utopia

**Fate/Geass: The Eden Vital War**

Disclaimer: In this particular universe, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the Code Geass, Fate/Stay Night or any other modern works that I may reference in this story.

Long ago, there was a war between Code-bearers and their Geass gifted armies over the power of Eden Vital, a war that destroyed the legendary continent of Atlantis and sent mankind back to the Stone Age. To prevent this, direct confrontations between Code-bearers are now forbidden, with disagreements to be resolved in a ritualized war of champions. But when V.V does the unthinkable and violates this tradition, he will soon learn that he is not the only one able to bend the rules for victory.

" " denotes speech

'_italics'_denotes thought

'**bold'** denotes location names

_**'bold italics'**_ denotes skill use

* * *

**Undisclosed Location**

In the midst of a grassy field that stretched on into the horizon, a vast expanse of rustling blades of green, a dark-haired wanderer laid himself to rest as he gazed up at the silver moon hanging low in an ebon sky, spending a rare moment lost in thought. There was nothing to distract him in this place, no signs of human presence, no sounds from any animals, just the warlock and the whispering wind, his purple eyes almost wistful as his hands traced runes and lines and magic symbols, constellations of focused thought aglow with inner light, weaving a molten gold and silver tapestry of whorls and arcs and rays. A bagatelle, really, for someone with all the time in the world...

How many years had it been since he had taken up the mantle of Counter Guardian and Code-bearer, roles given to him as the last wish of a once immortal witch? Who knew, really, and for that matter, did it really matter? One moment blended into the next in the infinite expanse of time, flowing ever onward to eternity, with all that mattered being that humanity continued to survive the dark times in its history and its present, growing to become more than he as Lelouch Lamperouge could have imagined.

In the present day, there were silver ships streaking across the solar system, flitting from planet to planet, and half the stars in the sky were not stars at all, but cities in space, each twinkling with light. Even the moon was dotted here and there by points of golden light, each a cluster of activity for mining, research, and simply living, with the farside hosting shipyards for interstellar vessels.

'_Things have really changed since 2017 ATB…_,' the Dawn Wanderer thought, smirking slightly as he recalled how primitive things had been—though his lips quirked into a frown as he remembered the cyclic nature of civilization, and how the Grey Witch had seen so many rise and fall. _'I wonder how much of now will be remembered 12,000 years later, when I have lived for as long as C.C.…how much of truth will turn to legend, fact to mere myth passed down and distorted over time.'_

The first centuries had been the hardest, as everyone he knew—save one, had passed away, with the Wanderer and his Q-1 left as the only ones unchanging…until at last their period in history was simply that—dry history to be read from textbooks, of the reformation of the Britannian Empire, the exploits of the Black Knights, the founding of the United Federation of Nations—though much of what was recorded was incorrect, since Code-R, the Eden Vital War, and a number of other _minor_ details had been left out.

'_Even the true nature of the War was unknown, though I hadn't really expected anything else…' _the Wanderer mused silently, his purple eyes staring out into nothingness as he thought of those early days that he had lived through, remembering the mental voice of C.C. asking if he wished to live—and if so, telling him to accept a contract as her sword. _'Mortal memory is fallible, after all, and nothing lasts forever…not even information, not even truth. Things change, events are rewritten by those that tell and interpret them, and so new stories are told, new histories spun, new things for people to remember.'_

So the warlock accepted most of these errors as a matter of fact, though he did get annoyed by some accounts of history that were grossly inaccurate—for example, those featuring the heroism and elite Knightmare Piloting abilities of Shinichirō Tamaki of all people.

'_Zero, yes. Kallen, yes. Even the inaccurate perception of myself, I'll accept, but as for Tamaki…err…I acknowledge that the man was always…enthusiastic, but…elite Knightmare Pilot is not the word I would use to describe him. I concede that managing a mutual kill with the Knight of Nine took courage and daring, but-'_

Even so, he was not quite willing to remember the Internal Cleaning Supporter as an Ace Pilot.

Still, it was interesting to see what accounts were remembered, how many had been lost during those final battles of the Eden Vital War, and what had become of everyone afterwards.

'_Interesting to see how Anya eventually rose to become Prime Minister of Britannia in her own right, on top of regaining most of her Knightmare piloting abilities. As for Archduke Lloyd Asplund—after his brief stint as Interrex, and then as Britannian Minister of Science, he went on to found the International Aerospace Exploration Agency, becoming known as the father of space travel, with Cecile Asplund née Croomy becoming the first person to walk on the surface of the moon—well, devicer, at any rate.'_

As for stories about him, the Wanderer was amused to see that he had been recorded in history as a dark Wraith of Vengeance, with the Ace of the Black Knights at his right hand, as they utterly smashed aside Britannia—though thankfully, his identity remained safe from the history books.

'_Still, I wonder what they would think if they knew I was still alive today…and Kallen with me, the two of us passing eternity together,' _the warlock mused, chuckling at the likely responses. _'No doubt I would be called a demon, just as back then—just as C.C. endured her share of hangings, burnings, shootings by firing squad and so forth.'_

Not that he tended to interfere too much with the course of human society these days, intervening when the world was in peril, otherwise simply blending into society or traveling the ways less used, playing up a variety of identities at need—a gambling chess player, for one (which always worked for a bit of income in one form or another), a cart driver, a pilot, a cook, a programmer, a freelance writer—or a model for artists, who always were in need of some, and to whom his dark nature appealed.

'_What can I say? I'm a jack of all trades,' _the Wanderer thought smugly. _'Now,_ _Kallen on the other hand…well, she's good at what she does, if a tad impulsive. But I knew that from the beginning, when she was but Servant Rider and I, Avenger…though I didn't know that her cooking skills were so sub-par.'_

Given that the first time he had decided to take a day off from his cooking responsibilities, the resulting meal had looked like a mass of charcoal on peat moss, the raven-haired immortal felt himself justified in thinking that—though he would concede that she had improved markedly over the years (enough so that he found her cooking palatable, as opposed to just barely edible), just as his own physical endurance and hand-eye coordination had also improved from the sorry state it had been in once. A few centuries was more than enough to brush up on one's weak points, after all.

_'Or to discover new talents as the opportunity comes...it isn't as is I don't have a good deal of time on my hands...'_

Looking up at the sky, the Wanderer smiled, noting that it was filled with quite a bright darkness, much like the night when he had first entered C.C.'s mind… the moon hanging low in the sky, the grassy field that was like a black sea illuminated by ghostly moonlight and fireflies, rustling in the wind.

'_It was only a few months that I knew her,'_ the Grey Warlock mused quietly, remembering how they had met—and how they parted, both with one or the other dying on the field of battle. _'And yet, meeting C.C. changed my life, giving me the power to change my reality. I wonder sometimes, how far I've actually come, and how much longer the journey will continue…whether or not I will indeed linger until the end.'_

For he wasn't so naïve to think that he would truly live forever, as even immortals would fade away in time—especially those bound to a concept like the human unconscious. If the rest of humanity were to die, he would surely lose the protection of the Code and crumble away to dust. Counter Guardian he might be, Knight of Zero and his master's sword…but no matter how durable a sword is, it will slowly wear away with use, or simply over time, as existence took its toll.

'_To an immortal, each day is a variation upon a theme, seeming repetitions of one another, but if one looks closely, no two are quite the same—much like snowflakes,'_ he thought, beginning to wonder if that was why the green-haired witch had had so much ice and snow in her phantasm world, to remind herself that though she had seen an endless expanse of time pass by, there were variations yet unseen. _'No matter how trivial the differences may seem, all the coincidences build on one another, cascading…so that each and every day is an irreplaceable moment I can never return to.'_

He had learned that lesson quickly, when C.C. vanished into the ether, returning to the World of C.

In the years the Wanderer had been alive, he had made many memories, and was able to recall many things that happened, each nostalgic in their own way. Happiness, sadness, joy and grief, hope and despair, love and hate, birth and death. Countless worries, countless frustrations—but countless moments of insight all the same, as well as how important a bit of warmth could be on a cold night, a bit of comfort and familiarity in an alien world.

_Thump._ _Thump. Thump._

And so his heart beat onward, a metronome by which to count the ages, though it had slowed with time, not as excitable as it once was. It seemed that C.C. had been correct—machines, bodies, and spirits were all alike in this way, wearing down.

'_I wonder…just how long will I be able to continue living out these endless days, running through time and spurning death?'_

At that thought, the warlock laughed, as the future was not something he could know—not the absolute future, anyway, though he could approximate it with his calculations—if fate didn't throw a monkey wrench or an unexpected variable into a scenario. And as for fate—why…even that was uncertain.

_Whoosh!_

The whisper of the midnight wind.

"—hey you. It's dangerous just lying around like that."

But his reverie was interrupted by an all too familiar voice, the one that started him down this lonely road. He looks up, and—

Eh?" he managed weakly, momentarily stunned by who he saw.

'_It's been more than a thousand years now…'_

"What do you mean, 'eh'?" his former Master replied with a soft velvety laugh. "You certainly have an awful lot of free time on your hands if you can lie around in this world. You were _this_ close to being stepped on, so you'd better watch out."

The Reaper in White said this with a hint of amusement, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Oh, but didn't you hear, I have all the time in the world, thanks to a certain witch," the Wanderer shot back sardonically, propping himself up with his elbows to get a better look at her. "Besides, who would step on a tired old man like me?"

"Isn't it obvious, boy?" C.C. declared confidently with a hint of amusement, a hint of a smirk on her face. "You and I are the only ones here, so who else could it be but me? Besides, you're one to talk…who was the one who accepted the contract with me in the first place? "

Stifling the urge to laugh, the raven-haired immortal glanced over towards the voice to see a beautiful woman clad all in white looking back at him, long green hair spilling to the small of her back, warm amber eyes piercing him where he lay upon the ground, as if taking his measure as a man after all these years apart.

The wind blew, unsettling loose strands of the Grey Witch's long green hair, each shimmering in the light of the moon.

"You know, I had the feeling that I'd meet you again one of these days," he sighed, thinking of all that they had shared, the gifts she had left him with. "Still, I didn't think it would be today, so I have to wonder if this is..."

"...a dream? Who can say...you always did think too much, Avenger. Compared to how long we each have lived, each moment might as well be a fleeting dream," C.C. replied, shaking her head slightly. "Whether it is or not, I leave to you…you're the Code-bearer this time around, aren't you?"

"I see you haven't changed, my dear witch," the Grey Warlock chuckled, a genuinely satisfied smile on his face for the first time in a while. "Just as I expected…though I never expected you to give up your immortality for my sake."

"What can I say…even I am sometimes vulnerable to a young girl's foolishness once in a while," answered a more vulnerable C.C., looking at him with the eyes he knew so well. "Besides, the only ones who should kill are those willing to be killed, right?"

"—either way, I'm glad to see you," the young man whispered, patting the ground beside him. "Come and sit, if you will."

"Don't mind if I do," the Witch replied saucily, slinking over and curling up against her former Servant's side, enjoying their shared warmth in the chill night air, resting their bodies in the wind as they gazed into the distance, enjoying the company one another for the first time in many, many years. "Not exactly a creature of blood and fire anymore, are you?"

"No…just an unyielding shadow," the Warlock murmurs contentedly as his free hands trace errant circles on C.C.'s soft cheers. "Just as you were once. Just as you are now, lingering in this place..."

"Touché," the Reaper in White rejoins, waggling her eyebrows in acknowledgement of the hit. "I see that you understand more of what it means to be an immortal."

A shadow passing through major events. Sad ones, miserable ones, disasters—wars. The peace following the Eden Vital War had not been forever—nothing was, though not nearly as serious. But there had been precious moments too, memories of human accomplishments, successes, "miracles"—all of which were tiny fragments making up the mosaic of his years.

Moments such as these, so very fleeting.

"You know, of all the things you told me once, what I hold most dear is your true name and the last words you spoke," he said at last to his companion. "Even with the knowledge you've given me, even with all else, those two moments stand out."

"What's in a name, really?" the Witch asked her warlock throatily. "The meanings for those will fade away in time, like everything else. Memories fading, feelings changing, as fickle as the winds."

"Sometimes I think you're just bitter because no one remembers who you were in the ages of the world, all the lives you've touched, all the fates you've changed," the Wanderer teased, a tiny wry smile quirking the edges of his lips. "Just as no one remembers me."

"The world will forget, you know," C.C. spoke ruefully, giving her former Servant a considering look. "Everyone does, in time."

"I'll remember," the warlock murmured gently, his face moving ever so slightly, as their lips met in a soft and tender kiss. It lasted only seconds, an insignificant span of time by any measure, especially to an immortal, but in the end, the feelings were real enough. "I'll remember, my dear Caren Cybele Ortensia."

"You are a very selfish boy," the Reaper whispered as the two broke apart.

"Of course," the immortal replied cheekily. "I learned from the best after all."

"Flatterer," she chided, though there was no anger in her words, as the two simply rested in each other's warmth, enjoying each other's simple presence in a stolen interlude in this land of memories under an eternal glass moon, content to know that they would remember one another, even if no one else did in the world they had given their lives to create.

Was it a dream? Maybe, but then, weren't dreams the stuff that gave life meaning? At the very least, they had their memories of one another, as time spun on unto the end, the siren song of eternity weaving and wefting ever onwards...

And for those two, the witch and her warlock, that was more than enough.

**_FIN_**

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**A/N**: And so we arrive at the very end. Its been quite a journey, but I'd like to thank you all for your patronage, for reading, and for your patience in putting up with any delays I may have had with updating. May we journey together as more stories unfold in future days. ~ AlfheimWanderer


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